Going Home
by swamygliders
Summary: Harry has come back to Hogwarts for his second year and something is...off. Harry has tried as hard as he can to keep everything secret and hidden, but people who are watching him know something is wrong. Warning: Mentions of Abuse
1. Discovery

Not very good I know, but my brain would not rest until I wrote this down.

Warning: I do not own Harry Potter in any shape and form. This story also contains abuse. If that bothers you please skip to the next story on the site!

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><p>Severus Snape sat behind his desk with his head resting in his hands. He could not believe how much his head hurt, not even a headache potion would work! It was only the second day of classes and the dunderheads were already causing him problems. This time though, instead of all his dunderheads causing trouble it was just one small raven haired second year that was the root of the problem.<p>

No matter how hard he tried he could not stop thinking of what he had seen last night at the feast. His spy senses were going mad, telling him that something was wrong. The rational side of his brain though was telling him to stop worrying over the Potter brat and that he was just overreacting. It had just been a flinch...or two...or...a lot.

Then there had been the way he was reacting to his friends. He seemed cold and distant, almost detached from the world around him. When the annoying bushy haired girl had thrown worried glances at the boy he had just fiddled with his food even more never really putting any in his mouth. On the subject of food, the boy had hardly eaten a thing! He had seemed to have lost some serious weight over the summer and that was saying something because the boy had been skin and bones the year before.

Something was up that much he knew, but what? Surely, his relatives had pampered him over the summer catering to his ever whim. So nothing was wrong there. Maybe Potter was angry that the Headmaster had not allowed him to stay at school for the summer and had decided to protest with a hunger strike? Severus snorted that was probably it. He had even heard that Potter had broken down in tears after the Headmaster had refused, most likely not used to being denied what he wanted.

The more and more he thought about it. The more he convinced himself that his reasoning was sound. That Potter was merely trying to gain more attention for himself. He surely could not be an abused or neglected child that was just not possible. This was Potter after all he was thinking about not one of his Slytherins.

Slowly, but surely his headache eased from the sharp pain to a dull throb as he thought about Potter and his actions. As he raised his head from his hands though the nagging feeling that told him something was wrong did not go away. He was determined to ignore it though, and go about his day, but then he grudgingly admitted to himself that if it did not go away after he saw Potter today in his class he would investigate further. Although, he really hoped it would not come to that, after all it was just Potter wanting more attention.

Getting up from behind his desk Severus started to get ready for his first class. His favorite, Gryffindor and Slytherin first years. He cursed the Headmaster under his breath. Why did the old coot think it was a good idea to pair house rivalries together? Was the old man losing his mind in his old age? For surely, that was the only reason other than to drive him insane trying to keep them from killing or blowing each other up.

Pondering over his schedule he realized that he would not see the Potter boy till the end of the day. For his sanity that was a very good thing, too many Gryffindor students in one day would positively drive him up a wall. For that nagging feeling though it would be torture trying to ignore it. Why the hell did he have to form a conscious now of all times? Oh yeah, because Potter was Lily's child as well.

While the Potion's master was down in the dungeons brooding over his current circumstance there was a small boy in a tower just getting out of bed, abut painfully. Harry Potter really hated the start of term. Not because he hated school or learning, but rather he hated hiding.

Hiding from his friends and teachers that is. Not physically per say, well his wounds yes, but more so emotionally. Harry had built up this invisible shield over himself over the years to protect himself from all the harsh words thrown at him, but only with time could he lower his shield. So what his friends and teachers saw the first few weeks of school was a cold and detached version of himself, it was really the only version of himself he could show until he felt safe.

Meanwhile, Harry lied to his friends that he was fine and had to ignore the looks. The looks of worry and pity were so hard to ignore though, almost unbearable. He hated making his friends worry about him, but he just could not help it. He was just hurting so much, inside and out.

Pushing all the thoughts of the start of the term away for another time Harry carefully slid out of bed trying not to further injure himself which was almost impossible. It was still early enough that his dorm mates were still in bed so Harry quietly snuck into the showers. This was the only time he dared to shower for he could not have someone walk in on him. He would then have to make up a story and avoid going to the nurse and honestly that was just too much for him to deal with presently.

As he slowly made his way to the showers Harry grabbed the clothing he would wear for the day and a towel he could dry off with. When he made it to the shower stall, he placed his clothes beside his towel on the rack and turned the water on to warm up. He then gently peeled his pajama's away from his abused skin noticing the abundance of blood that soaked into them. He really hoped that the house elves took no notice when they washed them or his sheets for surely there would be some there as well.

Sighing Harry placed the used clothes in the hamper and hopped in the shower. When the hot water hit his back Harry gave a small jump, but then slowly melted under the wonderful feeling of the soothing water.

He loved hot showers. It was one of many things that Harry treasured above all else here at Hogwarts. At home, at the Dursley's he was only allowed a cold two-minute shower once a week to wash the smell off him, but here was different. Here, he could take a warm shower and it could be as long as he wanted, well that is if no one else were around.

Closing his eyes Harry tilted his head back so that he could wet his hair and let the warmth spread over his scalp. He then reached over for the shampoo and set to work washing himself. As much as he would just love to stand there in the water he knew he could not for his dorm mates would be waking soon.

After Harry finished washing himself clean, he turned off the water and grabbed for the towel. Wrapping it around his waist he then began to dress himself very carefully. The wounds on his back were not completely healed and if he was not careful of how he put them on then they would stick and would be a very sorry boy later on.

Dressed and ready to go Harry came out of the bathroom to wake his best friend Ron. He felt especially bad lying to Ron the way he was with how the nice the boy had been to him. He had even teemed up with his brothers to try to rescue him from the Dursleys with their fathers flying car. Unfortunately, their planes had all been in vain for as soon as he had arrived at the Burrow (The Weasley's residence) the Minister of Magic himself had come to take him back "home".

The three teens had tried to argue with the Minister and their parents on Harry's behalf, but it had turned out be a waste of time. The Minister just wasn't ''interested", and their parents seemed to think that they were just making things up so they would not get into trouble. After all, whom in their right mind would believe that "the boy who lived" lived in a room with barred windows, ten locks on the door and a cap flap that they could pass food through if he got any at all.

Harry sighed and again pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He didn't particularly want to remember what had happened when he had arrived back at the Dursleys. It was still too fresh, and he knew that if he did he would become a crying mess from remembering all the pain.

So with a shaky hand he gently shook Ron's shoulder waking him from his slumber. When Ron grumbled something under his breath and rolled over Harry sighed and leaned down near Ron's ear.

"If you sleep any longer you're going to miss breakfast."

That woke Ron up immediately as Harry knew it would. A small smile graced Harry's face as he watched his friend look owlishly around to room for food. When Ron's gaze turned to Harry, he recognized what was going on and donned a smile.

"Did you really have to resort to food to wake me up?"

Harry gave his friend a mischievous smile. "It always works, so why not?"

Ron humphed and swung his legs out of bed. He then stood up and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder who tried to suppress the flinch, but failed miserably.

All mirth was gone from Ron's face immediately, and he looked at Harry concerned. "You ok there Mate?"

Harry smiled quickly and tried to reassure his friend. "Yeah, I'm fine Ron. Just wasn't expecting it."

Ron still looked at Harry skeptically. "You know Harry; I'm here if you ever need to talk. About anything."

Nodding Harry looked at Ron. "I know Ron and thank you."

In reality, though Harry would never confide in his friends about what had happened over the summer or anything that happened at the Dursleys. He was just too embarrassed, and he really didn't want to face the wrath of Uncle Vernon anytime soon. For he knew that if he told anyone what had happened and it got back to him he would be pulled from Hogwarts immediately and would never see the light of day again. It just was not worth it, Hogwarts was his home and he would not dare lose it.

"Really Ron I'm fine. Just a bit jumpy ok?"

Ron nodded but looked pleadingly at his friend. "I would still feel better if you came with me to the hospital wing. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey wouldn't ask too many questions if you didn't want to answer any."

Harry shook his head though. "Please Ron, no."

Sensing the other boy was about to panic Ron placed a calming hand on Harry's arm. "Ok Harry. It was just a suggestion, you don't have to go to the hospital wing, although I wish you would go to someone. I'm your best mate, and I can tell when you're hurt."

"Please just drop it Ron."

Admitting defect Ron put his hands up in the air in surrender. "Ok Harry. Let me get dressed then and we'll head down to the Great Hall for some food."

Harry gave a small nod and let his friend get ready for the day. He knew that Ron was just being a good friend and worrying about him. It was still annoying though, and he wished that Ron would just drop it completely, for he knew that he might have stopped now, but later on he would try again.

Ron appeared in the doorway just then with a smile on his face. "Ready to go down Mate?"

Harry nodded and the two made it down the stairs and into the common room. Halfway out of the common room though Ron spotted his twin brothers and made some excuse to Harry about forgetting something and meeting him in the Great Hall.

A nod came from Harry, and Ron made way to speak with his brothers, maybe they would know what to do with Harry. They had suspected something off with Harry as well, and it was actually them who had protested more when the Minister wanted to take Harry back home. Approaching the two Ron gave his brothers a serious look and pointed to a quiet corner to talk.

Seeing the serious, determined look on their little brother the twins exchanged a look and then gave a nod to each other both agreeing on something silently spoken. Seeing their little brother was not a common occurrence so they knew in their hearts that something must be wrong, especially if he was seeking out them for help.

When they arrived in the corner Ron almost broke down in the tears. Seeing Harry in so much pain was torture for him, and he just could not stand it anymore. His friend was hurt, and all he had tried to do to help had failed. There was only so much a twelve-year old could handle, and this was way out of his league. He knew he could go to a teacher for hep, but Harry would never forgive him and if he were honest with himself he was scared that it would be laughed off again. Yes again, the beginning of this year was not the first time Ron had sought help for his friend from a teacher. He had gone to Professor Mcgonagall last year, but she had just chalked it up to teenage drama and had done nothing to help.

George saw the tears in his brother's eyes and immediately drew him into a hug. Over his brother's head, he looked into his twins eyes and again silently communicated that something had to be done. They already had a hunch of what was wrong with their brother for it hurt them too to know that someone they saw as a brother was hurting.

Drawing his brother away from his chest when he felt that he had calmed down a bit George looked into Ron's eyes. "What's up little bro, talk to us."

Ron took a deep breath. "It's Harry. I think he's hurt pretty bad, but he won't go to the hospital wing. I...I don't know what to do anymore."

Both twins nodded, and it was Fred who spoke this time. "We'll try to talk to him after breakfast and see whether we can reason with him. If not then there is one last person who might be able to help. I'd say by the looks he was trowing Harry's way last night he already knows something is wrong."

Ron thought back to last night at the feast trying to figure out who his brothers were talking about. The only person he could think of that was looking at Harry though was Snape and Snape hated Harry. Why would he think about helping someone he hated?

As soon as he voiced his thoughts the twins gave him an understanding, but stern look. It was George who spoke up. "You know Ron not everyone is whom they seem to be. Snape is not that much of a git and he is actually quite...kind. Don't tell him we said that though."

Ron gave his brothers a confused look. "You are George, and Fred Weasley right?"

They both let out a laugh and smiled at their brother. Ron could be a little clueless at times, and it was quite cute. Fred led Ron to sit down in a near by chair, and George rested a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Let us tell you a story Ron, one that you not repeat to anyone ok?"

Ron gave a nod and looked over at George who was talking. Seeing the nod George continued. "You know that we send potions home to Mum so that she can save some money, right?"

Another nod came from their little brother, and Fred picked up where his brother left off. "Well, Snape helps us with that. You see, in our first year we tried to brew some potions in the third floor girls bathroom by ourselves and one of them exploded. We were relatively ok except I got a burn on my leg because I was the closest to the cauldron. We didn't want to go to Madam Pomfrey fearing that she would find out what we were doing and stop us so we went on as normal and tried to ignore the burn."

Fred took a breath, and George continued for him. "When we had class the next day though Snape noticed something was off. Maybe Fred had a slight limp or something, but he noticed. And asked for us to stay after class for a minute. We were scared to death and didn't really know what to do. Well, we know we had to stay there or else he would hunt us down, but you know what I mean. Anyway, he shut the door with his wand after everyone left and had Fred sit down on a stool while he pulled up his pants leg where I guess he knew the wound was. As soon as he saw the burn, he summoned some cream, and applied it. While he was taking care of the burn, he grilled us on how he had gotten it and then scolded us for brewing unsupervised. After he was finished scolding us, he offered to help us because he thought it was rather nobel what we were doing. Helping Mum that is. So now we meet up every Wednesday night, and he helps us brew and sends them off to Mum."

Skeptically Ron asked whether they were talking about the same Snape, and the twins nodded with smiles on their faces. "There is only one Snape, so we assure you we are talking about the same one."

Ron then looked down at his lap and fiddled with the ends of is robes. "So, you think he would help Harry?" Ron then looked up at his brothers; hopefully. He was just glad that someone, anyone would help his friend.

Both the twins nodded and helped their brother stand. Fred then turned to Ron and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If we can't get Harry to go to someone tonight we'll say something to Snape tomorrow when we brew, ok?"

Ron nodded and the three headed down to the Great Hall to meet Harry for some breakfast.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Harry barely ate anything much to his friend's displeasure and glances from a certain Professor at the head table were becoming more frequent. When Severus's glances became more noticeable, the Professor to his right put his hand on his. Looking up he looked into Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes; no trace of sparkle was there only concern.

"What is Severus?"

Severus sighed and cursed himself for being that noticeable. He was a spy for Merlin's sake! "It's nothing Albus. I'm just...concerned."

Albus followed where the Potion Master was looking and was a bit surprised. Not only who Severus was showing concern for, but for what he saw. A skinny, skittish version of Harry Potter. The Headmaster then turned to Severus.

"Do you know what happened my boy?"

Severus shook his head. "I take it I'm not over exaggerating then?"

Shaking his head Albus looked down at his meal with a saddened look. "You don't think his relatives had anything to do with this do you?"

I really don't know Headmaster. I was going to think of some excuse to talk with the boy later to see what is going on."

Severus was telling the truth too. He really didn't know anymore. This morning he had convinced himself he had just been exaggerating and Potter was just seeking attention, but now that he again saw the boy he knew there was something more to the story. The way the boy was wincing whenever something made contact with him or how he looked sick after only taking a few bites of food.

Albus just nodded his head sadly. "Let me know if I can be of an assistance and please let me know what you find out."

"I will" And with that Severus stood up from the table and made his way back down to the dungeons. He had to think some things over particularity how he would approach the boy. He had to be very careful how he did this or one of two things could happen. One he could lose his carefully built reputation, or he could frighten the boy so much that he would refuse to talk.

Sitting back down at his desk his head went back into his hands and he could not help wonder why the hell he got out of bed this morning. Today was going to be a very long and hard day that much was clear already.

"Mr. Potter, please stay after class for a moment."

Harry looked to the door where his friends were leaving. Ron turned around and gave Harry a warm, understanding look.

"We'll wait for you in the common room, ok?"

Harry nodded and the looked up at the waiting Potion Master. He didn't know why Snape had asked for him to stay after class. He hadn't done anything wrong or had he? Before Harry could work himself up anymore trying to figure out what he had done wrong, his Professor was by his side with his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Place your arm around my waist and I'll help you walk into my office. Lift your right leg so you don't put anymore pressure on your ankle."

Harry did as his Professor told him, but he looked up at him in confusion. Didn't this man hate him and how did he know that he had broken his ankle? Not even Ron or Hermione had noticed that. Was he limping or something when he walked? The boy then noticed that his Professor was gently nudging him forward. Apparently, he had been in his thoughts for longer than he had thought.

"Come on Potter work with me. As soon as we get into my office, I'll take a look at your ankle and try to heal it. Just a few more steps."

Harry hesitantly lifted his left leg and slowly moved forward with the help of his Professor. Eventually, the two made their way into Severus's office and as gently as he could Severus set Harry down in a soft, comfortable couch. He then pulled a stool up and very carefully lifted the injured leg and set it lightly down on the cushion.

The whole time Severus was tending to Harry's ankle. The boy seemed to be in a daze. At first, he thought that this must be a dream. After all, this was all just to strange for it to be true. A teacher, Snape none the less, caring if Harry was hurt. That had never happened before and he had loads worse.

Slowly Harry realized through his dream like state that Snape had knelt down in front of him and was telling him something. He guessed that he better listen, or else he might get himself into more trouble. Slowly he lifted his head from looking at his lap and looked at his Professor. What he saw confused the boy even more.

There was a look, or sadness, and concern written on the dour man's face. Something he never thought he would ever see, not on Snape anyway. He then came to realize that the man was asking him a question and was expecting an answer.

"I'm sorry sir..."

Severus was more then a little worried about the boy in front of him. This was not the Harry Potter he had gotten to know last year. There was no hint of his defiant or proud nature in the boy, just confusion, and...fear.

For the second time, he asked the boy how his foot felt and if it would be ok if he took off his shoe. He didn't want to startle the boy by removing clothing. Even if it was only a shoe and sock, he wanted to announce his every action to the boy. He didn't know how far the abuse had gone and wanted to make sure that he would not have a panicking child on his hands.

Yes, Severus could now plainly see that not eating in the hall was not merely a hungry strike of a spoiled boy. He had watched the boy very closely during class today and had seen how carefully he had moved around. As if he were nursing many injuries particularly his back. He had also noticed the slight limp. The boy had when he walked and how his handwriting was just a tad sloppier from last year. To an untrained eye it would seem as if the boy were just sore from an outdoor activity, but to Severus he knew the small tell tale signs an abused child gave.

When Severus saw the boy look up at his again he could not restrain his worry and concern for the child. This was Lily's child and he was hurt more then likely by those who were supposed to protect him. He knew that he should have fought Dumbledore more about his placement as a baby. He had known Petunia and known how awful she could be.

Pushing those thoughts from his head Severus tried to focus on the here and now. As gently as he could he tried to continue his conversation with the child. "What are you sorry for Harry?"

"I...I...just am..."

"Look at me Harry."

Harry looked up at the man and looked into the man's eyes afraid of what e might do to him. Maybe he had finally realized what a freak Harry was, and he was tired of teaching someone like him who could never do anything right. Then there was the question of why Snape had almost carried him in here and had rested his hurting ankle up in a more comfortable position. Harry was just so confused.

When Severus saw Harry's eyes look up at him in confusion he gently rested a hand on Harry's and resisted the urge to move away when the boy flinched.

"There is nothing to be sorry for Potter. Nothing at all. I can see that you are hurt, and I want to help heal you."

Harry looked down at his lap again. "But...but...why? You hate me."

At the last statement Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew this was not going to be easy, but still...

"I do not hate you Potter. I could never hate a student no matter how annoying they are."

Harry looked up at his Professor curiously. "Then why do you treat me...like you do?"

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He was unprepared for this conversation, all he had wanted to do was heal the boy. Removing his hand from his nose he looked at the boy again and made a decision.

"That is a very complicated question, Potter. One that I will try my best to answer later, but first I would like to make sure you are ok. Can I please remove your shoe and sock so I can try to heal your ankle?"

At first, all Harry did was stare at his Professor. He could not believe that his Professor had almost promised to reveal something he had wondered all last year. When the shock slowly wore off Harry gave a very hesitant nod.

Slowly and carefully Severus removed Harry's shoe noticing that it was not tied in a traditional bow, but rather just a jumble of knots. He resolved to ask the boy later if he actually knew how to tie a shoe.

Sighing Severus continued with his chore by removing Harry's sock and slighting rolling up the boy's pants leg. As soon as Severus saw the greatly swollen limb he looked up at the boy questioningly.

"How long has your ankle been hurting?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his lap. "A...a few weeks?"

Severus let out another sigh and looked back down at the injured limb. "This is a very severe break, Potter. One that I am not very comfortable healing myself. I will have to call Madam Pomfrey to help, but before I do I have to ask how did this happen and why did your relatives not take you to have it set?"

Holding his right hand in his left Harry continued to look down at his lap. Seeing Harry's distress and how he was practically clutching his hand Severus got up from where he was kneeling and sat on the couch next to the boy. Gently the man placed a hand on both of Harry's and carefully pried the presumably injured hand from the other.

"Come on let me see Potter."

Tenderly Severus felt Harry's hand and wrist for hidden injuries. When he was finished, he placed Harry's hand back on his lap and looked back up at the nervous boy.

"It seems all your knuckles are crushed. You know Po...Harry I am your Professor and you can tell me anything. Even if it's something about...your home life."

Still looking down at his lap Harry gave a meek nod. "I...I know Fred and George talked to me earlier. They said I could trust you."

Severus rose an eyebrow. "They did, did they?" Silently Severus vowed to thank the twins tomorrow night.

Harry gave another small nod. "They said that you could help me if anything was wrong and that you have helped them before." Harry looked shyly up at his Professor to see whether he would confirm or deny what the twins had said to him.

Severus gave a tiny nod. "I did indeed help the twins, and I can help you too if you let me."

Again, Harry's head descended down to his lap. "How?"

"Why don't we get you all healed up and then we can have a long talk about what happened over the summer?"

Very hesitantly Harry gave a small nod and Severus again gently took hold of Harry's injured hand.

"I'm going to heal your knuckles now. This will sting a bit, but afterword you will feel a lot better. Ok?"

Severus saw another nod so he continued by placing his other hand on top of Harry's. With both of his hands encircling the child's hand he began to chant slowly and quietly. Warm, yellow light surrounded the three hands and Harry was grimacing in pain. As soon as Severus had begun though he stopped and Harry's hand really did feel better. Severus then gently placed Harry's hand back in his lap.

Gratefully Harry looked up at his Professor. "Th..thank you sir."

To show acceptance, although the thanks were unnecessary, Severus gave a small nod.

"Are you hurt anywhere else Harry?"

Harry seemed to struggle with a simple question though so Severus gave a silent sigh and nodded to himself seeming to understand what the problem was.

"Do you want me to run a diagnostic scan on you Harry instead of telling me?"

Harry immediately nodded glad that his teacher had given him a way out. He could be healed, but did not have to break the rules Uncle Vernon had given him to follow. Well, not until later at least. Harry knew that Snape would not let it rest until he knew what had happened, he had made that much clear, but he would not worry about that right now. Now, he would focus on what was happening presently and what Snape was telling him.

When Severus saw Harry come back out of his pensive state he again very gently began to explain to diagnostic scan. "I'm going to wave my wand over you Harry, and a parchment and quill will appear next to me. That quill with write down all the injuries you have all that you have had formerly. This will not hurt al all, but you might feel a few tingles as my magic washes over you. There is nothing to be scared of."

Taking a deep breath Harry nodded and then prepared himself for the spell. The Potion Master then lifted his wand and gently flicked it over Harry's head. Harry did feel the slight tingle of magic, but was prepared for it. What he was unprepared for was the gasp Snape gave when the sheet of paper grew beyond three feet long. Ashamed Harry continued to look down at his lap and to his utter horror he felt tears prick the back of his eyes.

When the quill stopped writing Severus grabbed the parchment and stared at it unbelieving. How could anyone treat a child like this? He was horrified at what those...people had done. Adverting his gaze from the paper he looked up at the boy who was still sitting next to him. Although Harry was quite good at hiding his emotions he could not hide the few traitorous tears that escaped the boy's eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

People might say that Severus Snape had a cold heart and could not love anything, but that was not true. As soon as Severus had seen those tears he pulled the boy close to is side and ignored the flinch that came with touch. As carefully as he could he wrapped his arms around the abused boy's shoulders and pressed the boy's head tenderly onto his shoulder.

"It's ok to cry Harry. I might not have been there for you in the past and may have treated you coldly, but I am here for you now. I am here to help you heal both physically and emotionally."

With those words, Harry broke down. He could not hold it in any longer al the hurt he had felt for the past eleven years came out in big tears and deep sobs on Severus's shoulder. Although Severus was not familiar with giving comfort to hurt children he did his best soothe Harry. Careful of the injuries he now knew rested on the boy's back he gently rubbed soft circles and cradled his long fingers through his hair.

"Shhhh Everything will be ok Harry, I promise. I'll call Madam Pomfrey, and she can help me heal your ankle then she can stay with you for a little while I brew some potions to help your back heal."

Vigorously Harry shook his head at the last statement and began to cry all the more. Confused what had upset the boy Severus looked down at the black mop of hair and continued in an even gentler voice.

"Tell me what is wrong Harry. What did I say that upset you?"

"Pom..Pomfrey..."

When Harry made no move to continue Severus prompted his very gently. "What about her Harry?"

"Don't want to be alone..."

Severus nodded and promised to himself to pry later, but right now the child was too distraught presently.

"Would you like someone else to sit with you? Maybe Professor Dumbledore?"

Harry nodded. He might now be thrilled with sitting with the Headmaster, but it was much better then the alternative. Harry knew that he didn't need to fear Madam Pomfrey, that she was a very kind woman who would not hurt him, but he could not stop thinking of the one doctor appointment his Aunt had taken him too.

"Ok Harry."

Slowly, but surely Harry began to calm down and the tears slowly stopped flowing. For a few minutes, the two just sat there in silence. Harry recovering from his significant cry and Severus trying to think of what to do from there.

Finally, Severus drew away a bit and rested Harry's head on a pillow instead of his shoulder. He then got up, but before he turned to the floo be knelt down before the boy and looked right into his eyes.

"I'm going to go floo Madam Pomfrey so she can heal your ankle. I will be here the entire time, and I will not leave you alone."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus got up from where he was kneeling and went into the next room where his floo was located. Before fllooing, the Medi-Witch Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath still not quite believing everything that had taken place over the last hour.

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><p>Catching his breath Severus then grabbed some green floo powder and threw it into the fireplace calling the Nurse's name. When her face appeared in the green flames, she looked at him concerned and then mumbled something about "Another one." "Severus, step back so I can come through. Do I need to bring anything with me?"<p>

"Whatever you need to heal a severely broken limb."

Sighing Poppy nodded. "I'll be a moment then."

Severus nodded and the head disappeared from the fireplace. A few moments later true to her word was Poppy stepping out of the green fire holding several cloths and a few jars of what looked to be thick paste.

"Where is the child Severus and who is it?"

Severus sighed and looked intently at the nurse. "He's in my office, but before you go In there I must warn you he is quite injured."

Before he could continue though, Poppy interrupted him. "I am a nurse Severus I can handle injured people."

"I know Poppy. I can tell that his child has been through much though." Severus took another deep breath to calm himself. "I ran a diagnostic charm his back is quite tore up. I was not expecting to have someone so injured this close to the start of term so I do not have the correct potions and solves to heal it. I need some time to brew."

Poppy thought she knew where Severus was headed with this train of thought so tried to answer his unasked question. "Don't worry, I will sit with his Severus."

Severus shook his head though in a negative and looked at Poppy. "I'm sorry Poppy, but I'm going to have to ask Albus. It's seems that he is quite afraid of medics; he does not want to be alone with you."

Poppy looked hurt and Severus quickly tried to soothe her. "Poppy I doubt this has to do with you personally. He is just scared right now and probably remembering someone from his past."

Poppy nodded. "I know, I will never get used to these situations though. So who is the child?"

Severus heaved a big sigh. "Harry Potter."

Poppy seemed to visibility deflate. "He was in the hospital wing almost half the year last year. How could I not..."

Severus interrupted her train of thought. "I know Poppy I was just as shocked as you are. Pondering over what should or could have done will do no good though, we need to care of him now."

Poppy nodded and put up her no-nonsense face. "Ok Severus, show me to the boy and lets get him all fixed up."

With a quick nod Severus turned to the door and led the nurse into the next room to tend to Harry. As soon as Harry heard the duo enter the room he seemed to sink deeper into the couch and wrapped his arms around his stomach as if to protect himself.

Immediately, Severus came over to Harry sat down next to him. "It's just me and Madam Pomfrey, Harry. Nothing to be afraid of. Come on look up and see."

Harry looked up with his red, puffy eyes and saw that what Severus said was true. When he heard, the door open he had a flashback and had thought that he was back in his cupboard, and his Uncle was opening the door. As soon as he saw Severus though the memories had stopped and the panic had dwindled somewhat.

Poppy gently placed a hand on the injured ankle and looked up at Harry. "I'll have this fixed up in no time, ok Harry?"

Harry looked at the nurse and gave a small, shy nod. He then looked back down at his lap and fiddled with the blanket Severus had placed on his lap.

While Poppy was tutting over the swollen ankle Severus gently placed a hand on Harry's to stop his fidgeting. "It's ok Harry. Take deep breaths for me and relax. I'm right here for you."

As quick as she could Poppy healing spell after healing spell on Harry's ankle. As soon as the swelling had gone down and the bone was put into place Poppy began to wrap it the soft cloth she had brought with her. When it was wrapped, tight she cast a spell over it to make the cloth hard like a cast. She then looked up at Severus and Harry with a small smile when se saw how much the dour man had calmed the boy down.

" Ok Harry, your all set. I put a magical cast on it though, so please be careful when you walk."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze.

" Harry, I'm going to escort Madam Pomfrey back to the floo and ask the Headmaster to come by, ok?"

Another nod came from Harry and Severus got up off the couch.

" I'll be right back."

Severus then led the nurse into the other room. Before Poppy left, she turned to look at Severus and gave him a small smile.

"You care about him Severus."

It was not a question, but a statement. Severus averted his eyes from Poppy's and she gave another smile.

"Take good care of him Severus and call me if you need anything."

Severus gave a small nod and watched as the nurse exited his rooms. He then sighed and threw some more green floo powder into the fireplace. Albus's face appeared, and he just simply nodded.

"I'm guessing that Harry is there with you?"

"Yes, he is. How did you know?"

"I asked Minerva where he was a little while ago and she asked his friends. They told her that you had asked him to stay after class. I take it that since he has not left to go back to his dorm that something is wrong?"

Severus nodded. "Can I ask for you to come through and sit with him while I brew some potions tat will help him heal."

Sadly Albus nodded. "Is it that bad, my boy?"

"I'm afraid so Albus. He will never go back to his relatives again."

Albus sighed. "Then where will he go? He has no one else..."

Before Albus could finish Severus interrupted him. "Albus I will take him in if I must. He will not be going back."

Again Albus nodded. "Ok Severus, step back and I'll step through."

Severus nodded and did as the Headmaster asked and stepped back. The next moment in a cloud of soot the Headmaster stood before look at Severus and Albus enveloped him in a hug.

"How is he?"

Severus sighed. "Scared and hurt."

Closing his eyes Albus let out a sigh of his own. "How long will it take you to brew those potions?"

"An hour or two. I ask that you try to get him to take a nap while I brew. I suspected that he has not been sleeping. If you can't get him to sleep though maybe try to teach him how to tie a shoe?"

Albus just simply nodded.

The two then went back into Severus's office, but this time Severus made sure that the door made little noise as he opened it. As soon as they entered Harry looked up and then looked down at his lap when he saw Albus in tow.

Before Albus could say or do anything Severus sat beside the boy and placed a hand on his chin lifting it so that he could look right into his eyes.

"I'm just going to be in that room." Severus pointed to the door across the way. "And if you need, anything at all just call for me ok? I will be here as soon as I can."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus got up, and Albus took his place next to Harry. Giving Severus a silent nod to leave Albus gently brushed his finders through the boy's hair.

"How are you doing Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders, but the winced as it hurt his back.

"Hey there, take it easy Harry. Why don't you lie down for a bit and maybe get some rest."

Harry gave a tired nod, and Albus got up from the couch. Gently Albus moved Harry's still elevated leg down to the floor and then helped him lie back onto his side so his back made no contact with the couch.

"Now close your eyes Harry and relax. I will be right here watching over you as you sleep."

Harry gave a sleepy nod and slowly closed his eyes succumbing to his exhaustion. Tenderly Albus placed a hand on the boy's forehead and brushed the stray hairs out of his face.

"Oh child, I am so sorry what I've put you through. If I had known, but then you practically begged me last year. I should have listened to you, not only what you were saying, but how you were saying it."

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><p>A few hours passed by as Albus watched the small boy on the couch sleep. Suddenly, Severus came out of his potion's lab with several jars in his hands. When the man saw the boy relaxing on the couch, he gave a grateful nod and a small smile.<p>

"Thank you Albus. Can you hep me just a bit longer while I heal his back?"

Albus just nodded and got up from the chair that he had placed next to the couch.

"Do you want me to wake him?"

"No let him sleep, he does not need to be awake for this. In fact, it's probably better he's sleeping."

Severus then came over to the boy and placed the jars down on the table.

"I'm going to have to cut off his shirt instead of magicking it off. It seems that the shirt is stuck his back, and it would be too painful."

Albus just nodded and watched as Severus summoned a pair of scissors. Carefully Severus sat on the edge of the couch next to Harry and began to cut away the shirt.

"I'm going to need to hand you this Albus."

Albus came closer and when Severus handed him the shirt he grabbed it. He then banished it as it could no longer be warn as it was covered in blood and puss. Looking over at Severus who was rubbing cream into Harry's injured flesh he was shocked at how bad Harry was hurt.

In his sleep Harry started the whimper. More then likely from Severus touching his hurt back. What shocked Albus even more was how gentle Severus was being. Sure he had seen Severus handle hurt children before, but this was somehow different. Severus didn't seem to distance himself from the child, rather he seemed to connect more with him. With a sad smile Albus came and placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. Severus looked up and met Albus's eyes.

"Do you want me to draw up papers for you become his new guardian?"

Severus looked down at the boy and slowly brushed the hair away from his face. He then continued with his task of healing Harry.

"Yes, please."

Albus gave a small nod. "Do need any more help from me or would you like me to go do the paperwork?"

"I'm fine here Albus...and thank you."

Albus then quietly left the room with a small comforting squeeze to Severus's shoulder before he left. Severus then rubbed the rest of the three creams into Harry's back and watched as the deep red welts faded to thin scars.

Silently he was glad that Albus had left for he knew Harry would not appreciate many people seeing what he had to heal next. Carefully Severus unbuttoned Harry's trousers and quickly took them down as well as the boy's pants. He then carefully rubbed the creams into the boy's bottom and upper thighs. If possible these wounds were worse then what was on his back.

When he was finished, he summoned a set of his black silk pajamas and shrank them down to Harry's size. He then tenderly dressed the boy with the new clothes.

"Everything will be ok Harry; everything will be fine."

Severus then adjusted the boy so that he was laying on his back on the couch and placed a blanket over the sleeping boy. He then sat down heavily in the chair next to the couch and placed his head back in his hands.

He didn't really know what he had gotten himself into. He was going to have a son; Harry Potter the biological son of his enemy and best friend was not going to be his son. How the hell did this happen.

But, then he looked up at the sleeping boy and his eyes softened. He promised right then and there that he would do anything to help that child, no one should ever go through such hurt. Summoning a house elf he quietly asked her whether she could expand another room in his quarters and decorate it for a young Gryffindor. She nodded and popped away.

A half hour later she popped back in telling him it was done. After thanking her he went over to Harry and scooped him up into his arms still wrapped in his blanket. Cradling the boy against his chest he walked deeper into his rooms and found the new door next to his. Opening the door he waved his wand to turn on the lights and then walked over to the bed that was decorated in red and golds. He then walked over to the bad and gently placed the boy on it still covered in the blanket. Severus didn't dare remove the boy's souse of as he did not want to wake him.

Brushing the hair out of Harry's face one last time he mumbled a "sleep well" and walked out the door turning the lights off behind him. When he shut the door tight he leaned his head on the door and closed his eyes. With his eyes closed he thought he saw a bright light, probably hallucinating or so he thought, and then a lone figure with long red hair came up to him.

"Lily?"

The figure came closer to him and gave him a warm smile. "Yes, Sev."

"I'm so sorry Lily; I failed you! I should have seen it sooner, I am so so sorry!"

Lily placed a comforting hand on Severus's shoulder. "There is no need to apologize to me Severus. In fact, I have come to thank you. Thank you for saving my son Severus."

"But Lily..."

"No buts Severus. You saved my son's life and his soul and for that I thank you."

She then leaned down and kissed Severus on the cheek. "I have to go now. I know you will take good care of Harry. Tell him that I and James love him and he needs to stop blaming himself for our deaths."

Severus then opened his eyes and stared straight ahead of him unbelieving or what had just happened. This had been one strange day indeed.


	2. Food and Comfort

I wasn't really planning to write another chapter for this. People asked me to though, so here I am! Let me know if you think I should continue with this or not! :)

* * *

><p>Later that day, around dinnertime, Severus summoned a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a glass of milk. With the tray in his hand, he quietly entered Harry's new bedroom. Turning the light on with a quick flick of the wand and then dimming it a bit for the boy on the bed, he then went and placed the tray if food on the bedside table while sitting down in the chair.<p>

Very gently Severus shook the boy's shoulder to wake him. "Po...Harry. Come on Harry; it's time for a little dinner." As the boy woke Severus chastised himself. He had to remember to address the boy by his first name. For one, it reminded him even more that he was not his father. Also, he had noticed that the child flinched every time he called him Potter, probably remembering something unpleasant.

Two weary green eyes were now looking up at him, not really sure what to do. Then, a calloused hand come and rested on Harry's and he had to suppress a flinch.

"It's ok there Harry. I just brought some food that I thought you might be able to stomach better than the food in the great hall."

Harry looked over at the food and could not hide the hunger he felt. A small grumbling sound came from his stomach, and his eyes were watching the food longing evident. Severus had to suppress a sigh at what he saw. No child should ever have to look at food the way this child was. How long had they starved him?

Ignoring those thoughts Severus reached to help the boy sit up in the bed, placing pillows behind him as he did. Harry didn't fight him, knowing that if he just let the man do what he wanted he would get something to eat and he was hungry.

As always the Dursleys had been horrible with food this past summer, but it had seemed worse somehow. Maybe it was because when he had been at Hogwarts last year he had finally been able to eat his fill at every meal and had managed to put on a little weight. Going back to always being hungry after being so well fed had not been easy.

This time when he had come back to Hogwarts the food just did not appeal to him though. Everything made him feel sick to his stomach. He was guessing that it was because it was so rich and his stomach just could not handle it.

Harry's Potions Professor then reached over and grabbed the glass of milk. Extending it to the boy he kept a steady hold on it even when both of the boy's hands reached out to grab it and bring it to his mouth. Severus had to work to make sure the boy did not drink it too fast. Although it was laced with a stomach soother and a mild calming drought that would not stop the boy from throwing it up if he gulped it down to fast.

"Slow down Harry, if you don't it will come right back up."

When Harry made no move to slow down Severus had to pull the glass away from Harry's mouth. As he did so a cry came from the boy and to Harry's shame tears came from his eyes.

Severus saw the tears and quickly tries to soothe the boy. "It's ok Harry. I'm not trying to take it away, I just need you to slow down and take little sips. Too much at one time will make it come right back up. Ok?"

Still tears in his eyes Harry nodded. At the moment he would agree to anything to be able to taste that sweet, cold milk again. Maybe it was the starvation talking, but he felt as if he had never tasted anything so good.

Bringing the glass back up to Harry's mouth Severus let the boy's hands again snake their way around the glass. This time though he made sure to monitor what went into Harry's mouth more closely.

When the glass was drained Severus gently removed it from Harry's hands and placed it on the bedside table next to the tray. He then summoned a mug and carefully poured the bowl of soup into it figuring it would be easier for both of them this way.

Before handing it to the boy and helping him drink it though, he first looked into the boy's eyes. "I need you to pace yourself with this Harry. It has noodles in it because you need something in your stomach besides just liquid. I will not take this away from you, but we shall take breaks every so often. Ok?"

Harry gave a nod and latched onto the mug Severus was holding up to his mouth. The warmth felt so pleasant on his hands, and he suddenly felt really cold. So cold he started to shiver. Severus could not only feel the shivers coming from the boy, but he could see them they were so violent.

As Severus took the mug away from the child's mouth he gave a soft wine and still kept his hands firmly around the mug as if trying to soak the heat out of it.

"It's ok Child. I'm just going to set it down for a moment so we can get you under the covers and get you warm. You can have some more in just a moment."

Reluctantly Harry let go of the mug and Severus placed it back on the tray.

"Ok Harry, I'm going to pick you up for a moment and then set underneath the covers. Ready?"

Harry closed his eyes for a moment, but then nodded. Severus got up from his chair and placed an arm underneath Harry's legs and his other under his back. With a touch of wandless magic Severus pushed the covers to the end of the bed and then gently set the child down. He then pulled the covers up over the child and cast a warming charm on the bed to keep him warm. Again Severus sat down, but this time on the edge of the bed instead of the chair beside it.

"Ready for some more soup?"

Harry eagerly nodded his head so Severus picked the mug up again and placed it near Harry's mouth. The boy's hands again snacked up and grasped the mug as if his life depended on it. When the mug was half-empty, Harry slowed down and eventually stopped sipping. Severus pulled the mug away, and Harry reluctantly let go.

"Are you done Harry?"

A small nod came from the boy.

"Ok, I have to ask you something. This might be hard to talk about, but I need to know so I can help you."

Harry gave another small nod and Severus began to ask what he had wanted to know for the last few hours. He had gone through the diagnostic report to make sure he had not missed anything and had found something he found concerning. It seemed that the boy's stomach lining had been severely damaged, maybe beyond repair.

"Did you throw up a lot when you were your...relatives?"

Looking down at his lap and fiddling with the quilt Harry nodded and began to reveal something that Severus never thought anyone would do to a child or anyone. "Aunt Petunia use to give me a glass of water when I worked in the garden. It always made me feel sick though, and it would later come back up. After a while I didn't want to drink it, but she always stood there and made sure I drank it all."

Severus stared at the boy slightly in shock at what he just heard and furious at what that woman had done to her nephew. He then brought his emotions under control and gently wrapped both his hands around Harry's.

"It seems that what your Aunt was giving you was more than just water, and it has damaged your stomach. I will have to call someone who is more experienced to see what he can do to help. Not Madam Pomfrey, but rather my own doctor. I trust this man with my life, and I know he will be able to help you. Would that be ok, can I give him a call?"

Harry was nervous and scared about seeing a doctor, but his Professor had said that he trusted this man with his life and he was his doctor. Slowly he nodded his head not really sure what he was agreeing to, but if his Professor thought it was a good idea, then he had to agree.

Severus saw the small nod and gave the boy's hands a small squeeze in support. "I'll be right back Harry, do you need anything else?"

A sudden pressure made itself known in Harry's lower stomach and Harry blushed a bit. "I have to use the loo..."

Severus nodded and got up from the bed. "Why don't I take you to the bathroom and then I'll call the Healer?"

Nodding his head Harry made to get up from the bed, but Severus stopped him before he could even swing his feet out of the covers. Harry looked up at Severus confused, not really understanding what was going on.

"Madam Pomfrey put a cast on your ankle, but I don't really want you walking on it just yet. Let me help you."

Without further words, Severus scooped the boy up into his arms as he had earlier. This time without the blanket for it would be a bit cumbersome considering the chore that had to be done. As soon as he was lifted into Severus's arms, Harry made a little squeak in surprise and latched onto Severus's robes as though his life depended on it.

"Easy there Harry, I have you."

Harry buried his face into Severus's robes and was strangely comforted when he realized that he could hear his Professor's heart beating. He had never been held this close to anyone before, and he found that he quite liked it.

Carefully Severus carried the boy to the bathroom and set the boy down on the floor in front of the toilet.

"I'll be right outside if you need me. Just call when you're done and I'll bring you back to bed. Ok?"

"Ok sir."

Severus nodded and shut the door behind him as he left, but stayed near the door for when the boy called. What he heard next though was not a boy yelling for help or else, but rather a crash. Trying not to panic Severus knocked on the door and called for the boy, but when no answer came he opened the door to see what was wrong.

When the door opened what he saw did not bode well. He saw the boy on the floor curled up in a ball with his hands protecting his head and a broken potion bottle that must have been knocked from the tub and shattered. Quickly he moved over to the boy and knelt down beside him careful not to kneel on any of the glass.

"Harry, Child what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Harry kept apologizing and sobbing into the floor, absolutely distraught.

"Harry look at me."

Almost hysterical Harry looked up at his Professor expecting to see anger and disappointment. What he saw though was worry and concern etching the lines of Severus's face. Severus rose his wand and Harry cringed knowing that this would be it, his Professor would punish him with magic.

"Watch Harry."

Harry opened his eyes and watched as Severus rose his wand a bit higher and said a quiet "repario". Suddenly, the glass bottle was repaired and the contents were back inside. Harry's eyes widened and intently relaxed when Severus again lowered his wand.

"See Harry, it's all better. Nothing to worry over. Come on let's sit up and see whether you injured yourself."

Harry did as he was told and Severus checked him over head to toe healing the few cuts he saw.

"Did you bump your head at all?"

Shaking his head Harry looked a little ashamed for his latest mistake.

Slightly sighing Severus gently reached out and grabbed Harry's chin forcing him to look into his eyes.

"Did you manage to use the toilet?"

A blush crept up Harry's face as he shook his head no. "I stumbled into the side of the tub before I could."

Severus gave a quick nod and lifted Harry up to his feet. "Let me help you then."

Quickly Severus lifted the lid of the toilet, pulled the boy's pajamas and pants down and then plunked the boy down. He then turned his back to give the boy some privacy. He didn't really want to stay in the room, but he didn't dare leave either after what had just happened.

After Severus heard the flush of the toilet, he turned around and helped the boy down and pulled up his pajamas and pants. He then picked the boy up in his arms and held him close to his chest. Already, he was feeling more protective of this child and he honestly could not believe it. Maybe it was just his love for Lily carrying over to her son, but he knew that was not true. He cared for Harry, because he was Harry, because he was a child who needed to be cared for.

As soon as he had picked up Harry and clutched him to his chest Severus felt a small smile begin to form and stopped it when he felt the boy bury his head in his robes again.

"We're almost back to your room Harry."

Harry nodded into Severus's chest and snuggled a little closer to his Professor if it were possible. Severus then took the few steps it took to go back to the boy's room and when he got there sat down on the bed with the boy now in his lap.

"Do you think I could leave for a few seconds to fetch the Healer I was talking about?"

Severus wasn't really sure he wanted to leave the boy for the few seconds it took to bring Don in here, not after Harry had fallen. The boy said he had not hit his head, but he was still worried knowing that the boy would not disclose everything to his teacher. Plus he had discreetly felt a small lump on the back of the boy's head as he was carrying him.

Embarrassed at being so weak Harry shook his head. He hated being so weak and clingy, but he hated being alone even more. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

Giving a small nod of the head Severus pulled the blanket that had been around the boy earlier in the living room from the side of the bed and wrapped it around Harry again so he would not get a chill. He then fished out a gold chain he had around his neck and pulled a small pendent from beneath his shirt that as shaped like a doe.

"You see this Harry?"

Harry looked at the small pendent with a little awe; he had never seen anything so beautiful. In a few seconds, he closed his mouth grateful that his Professor made no comment about him staring and nodded.

"Well, this is not only for decoration. You see when I hold it close in my hand and say Healer Patterson my healer is called to come to me no matter where I am."

As Severus was telling Harry what the pendent was for he did what was needed to call the healer and in a few seconds Severus heard someone come through the floo. Then, a knock came at the door and a worried call for Severus.

"Please come in Don."

Don entered the room with an eyebrow risen at the softness of Severus's voice. He had never head Severus speak that way especially to him. When he saw a scared looking boy on his lap though he was starting to understand.

Severus had called him once before when an abused girl had been hurt so bad that Severus nor Poppy could help her. Then, too he had used that gentle voice, but it had not been so...caring? If that was the right word for what he was seeing and hearing.

Casually Don strode over to the two on the bed and sat in the chair Severus had vacated earlier.

"Hi there Severus. How are you and who do you have there?"

Severus looked up from the child on his lap and into the Healer's eyes. "I'm fine, I'm more concerned about Harry here. It seems that his Aunt gave him something to damage his stomach lining and I'm worried that it might have damaged his throat as well. You know my diagnostic charm works well with physical wounds, but can sometimes be lacking when it comes to internal."

Don nodded in understanding and held out his hand to Harry. "It's nice to meet you Harry. As you might have figured out my name is Healer Don Patterson, but you may just call me Don."

Harry loosely took Don's hand, and he was surprised to feel a small tingle when he did. When he jumped, a bit Don looked at him with a smile.

"I'm sorry there Harry. Sometimes my healer magic becomes a little eager when it knows that someone near me is hurt."

Don then looked up at Severus and gave him a smile. "Severus do you think you could let Harry sit beside you on the bed? It will be easier to examine him that way."

Severus nodded, but when he tried to move Harry from his lap Harry clutched tightly to his robes. Looking down Severus frowned a bit when he saw the boy's eyes closed tight and heard the small whisper that came from his mouth.

"Please don't leave me."

Stopping his movements immediately Severus hugged the boy close to him. "I'm not leaving you Harry. Like I said earlier I will always be here for you. I just want to sit beside you so that Don can make sure you're all ok. I'll hold your hand the whole time if you want."

Harry nodded looking a bit relieved that the first adult who seemed to really care for him was not leaving him. Slowly his grip on his Professor's robes loosened and Severus eventually transferred the boy to the spot next to him, but firmly kept their hands intertwined.

When Harry was sitting on the bed Don moved the chair a bit so that he was sitting directly in front of the boy and locked eyes with him.

"I'm going to make sure the insides of your belly are ok. You're going to feel that same tingle you felt when you shook my hand. Are you ready?"

Nervously Harry shook his head. And allowed Don to pull the blanket down off his stomach.

"I'm going to have to lift your shirt a bit. If you feel uncomfortable at any time tell me to stop. Ok?"

Again Harry gave a small nod, but then turned his head to hide his face in Severus's side. Severus closed his eyes for a moment and then wrapped his other hand around Harry's shoulders as Don gently lifted the boy's top and felt around his stomach.

The more Don examined the boy. The deeper his frown became. There was much damage and it seemed to be done over years and not just one incident. When he was done, he gently pulled the boy's shirt down and the blanket back up.

"Harry can you look at me?"

Harry removed his face from Severus's side and looked at the Healer.

"You were muggle raised right?"

Harry nodded his head and then looked down at his lap.

"Don't worry Harry, you have done nothing wrong. Quite the contrary, your family has done something very wrong. Did your Aunt ever give you something that smelled kind of like a pool?"

"I've never been to a pool, sir."

"That's ok Harry. Did anything ever taste bitter of give you a stomach ache afterwords?"

Harry nodded. "I would work in the garden, and she would bring me this glass that looked like water, but it tasted bitter and I always threw up afterword. She would always make me drink it though."

"How many times did this happen Harry?"

Shrugging his shoulder Harry made to bury his head again in Severus's side. Severus again reached around and pulled the boy close to him.

"Shhhh It's ok Harry."

Severus could not hear the tears, but he could feel them wetting his robes and could feel the shaking of the boy's shoulders. As he was comforting the boy Severus looked up at his Healer with worried eyes and mouthed a "How bad?".

Don just shook his head sadly.

Closing his eyes for a moment Severus then looked down at the boy and continued to soothe him. When Harry had calmed down Severus gently pulled Harry away from him and wiped the tears from his face.

"Don still has to talk with you, are you ok now?"

Harry gave a small nod and looked at Don.

"I think what your Aunt was giving you was Bleach. It ate away at the walls of your stomach, and unfortunately it can't be healed. We can manage the effects though. I'm sure when you eat right now you feel sick afterword right?"

Harry gave a weary nod and Don Continued.

"To help you can drink a glass of milk or have a little yogurt before you eat it should help. It will coat your stomach and make it easier for food to digest."

Looking down Harry nodded. That wasn't too bad; he liked milk and yogurt. He looked up again when he heard Don quietly ask him if he could examine his throat. Again he nodded, just wanting this whole thing to be over with.

"Hold your head up Harry. I'm going to feel from your ears down to your shoulders. Then, I'm going to feel the front. It's going to tingle like before ok?"

When Don saw the nod he moved his hands to feel all over the boy's throat. He stopped around Harry glads though, and gave a little frown.

"You seem to be ok Harry, but your glands feel a bit swollen. Do you have a sore throat?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "A little I guess."

Don nodded. "I'm going to feel your forehead to see if you have a fever, ok?"

As Harry nodded Don did as he had said and felt to see if the boy was warm. Almost immediately though Don removed his hand from the boy's head and looked at Severus.

"You're burning up Harry!"

Quickly Don summoned a muggle like thermometer.

"Put this under your tongue Harry. Do you feel really hot?"

Harry shook his head and tried to speak with the glass instrument in his mouth. "Really cold."

Don nodded and took the thermometer from his mouth, and his eyebrows rose. "39.7ºc! Severus can you run a cold bath for Harry. We need to cool him down."

Severus nodded, but was stopped from getting up from a scared boy next to him. Taking the small hands that were clutching his robes again into has hands Severus looked down into the boy's face.

"Harry I'll just be a second and then I'll be right back to carry you to the bath, ok?"

"Please don't go, I'll be good."

Severus let out a small sigh. "You are a good boy Harry, you have a very high fever though, and I need to draw a cold bath for you."

"Can...can you take me with you?"

Severus looked at Don who shook his head slightly. "Harry, I promise you I will be right back. Remember earlier when I let the room and then came back a few minutes later?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"I came back before, and I promise you I will come back again."

Slowly Harry's grip loosened on his robed and Severus got off the bed. "I promise you Harry I will be right back." Severus then slowly moved to the door and went to go draw a bath.

Harry watched his Professor the entire time he left the room that is until Don gained his attention by calling his name.

"Harry, I have to ask you something. Something very personal. Can you answer me honestly?"

Harry nodded, but looked down at his lap.

"Has anyone ever...touched you? Inappropriately?"

Almost immediately Harry shook his head violently and Don sighed in relief.

"Thank you for answering me Harry."

The next moment Severus came in the room and first looked at Don who shook his head. Severus echoed Don's sigh and then came and sat next to Harry.

"Let's go get you into the bath, ok?"

Harry nodded and let Severus pick him up into his arms. Don followed Severus and Harry until they reached the living room and then Severus proceeded to the bathroom with only Harry.

As soon as Severus got into the bathroom he sat the boy on the toilet. He then started the gently unbutton Harry's shirt and helped him take it off. Giving a smile at the boy Severus quickly cast a waterproof charm over the cast on his ankle. He then set the boy on his feet and steadied him as he wobbled a bit.

"You ok there Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"This bath is very cold, but you have to stay in for a little while, ok?"

Again Harry gave a nod.

With that Severus, gently pulled the boy's pajamas down as well as his pants and placed him in the bath tub.

At first, Harry blushed and covered himself, but then he suddenly felt really warm and he relaxed back into the cold water not really caring anymore that he was exposed.

After what seemed like ten minutes of sitting in the tub, Harry felt someone shaking his shoulder and he looked up into the concerned eye's of Severus.

Severus had left the bathroom for just a moment to grab some new pajamas and had come back to Harry falling asleep in the tub.

"It's time to get out now Harry."

Harry nodded and Severus held up a fluffy looking towel. Severus then picked up the boy underneath his armpits and wrapped him in the warm towel. Patting the boy dry he then helped Harry into his newly shrunken sleepwear.

"Let's get you to bed. If you're getting sick you need all the sleep you can get."

Harry let the man carry him back to bed and as he passed the Healer nodded his head in greeting. Severus then strode into Harry's room and quickly placed Harry in his bed. Expertly Severus placed the thermometer beneath Harry's tongue and a few minutes he took it out . When he saw what it read he sighed in relief, it was now only 37.7ºc.

"Much better Harry. Sleep well and if you need anything don't be afraid to call me. I'm right next door."

Harry sleepily nodded his head, and he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight Child."

With that Severus brushed the stay hair out of the boy's face and then he quietly left the room shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Coming back out into the living room Severus was met with a very concerned Healer for both his old patient and new. As soon as the Healer spotted Severus he grabbed his arm and sat him down on a comfortable looking couch.<p>

"So Severus, would you care to tell me why Harry Potter is currently residing in your chambers?"

Severus sighed. He knew questions would come, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"I noticed something off about the boy as I often do, but could not figure out what it was until today when I saw him limping into my classroom. It was a slight limp, but a limp never the less. I asked for him to stay after class, and I healed him to the best of my ability with some help from Poppy. When I confronted Albus about removing him from his relatives he said there was no other option. I blurted out that I would take him if there were no other options and Albus is currently doing the paperwork to have his guardianship transferred to me."

Don continued to nod throughout Severus's explanation. When Severus was finished Don gave him a soft look. "I've never seen you speak that way to anyone before, not even that girl you had me look at last year. You really care."

Severus blushed a bit and looked away. "I don't know what your talking about. He is an injured child, and I was treating him as so."

Don gave him a knowing smile. "What made you change your opinions so? Just last week you were calling him an arrogant brat."

"You saw him Don! His relatives have been hurting him for years!"

"I did see him Severus and I saw how you acted towards him; like a loving father."

Severus looked down at his lap, he hated these kinds of conversations with Don. Unfortunately for Severus they happened at least once a week or sometimes more.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Gently Don rested a hand on Severus's shoulder. "I know you Severus. I've known you for years. Through all the Death Eater meetings, Lily's death, your potions mastery, accepting a job here, and everything else that has happened I've been with you through it all. Unlike most I can tell what your feelings are, despite that mask you put up. Your giving the child a room of his own, and even helping him take a bath speaks louder than words. You care for him Severus, do not deny it."

Severus looked up into Don's eyes. "Fine then, I do care what happens to the boy! Happy now!"

Don gave a small smile. "I am happy you are admitting your feelings, yes. I want to know though, are you ready?"

Again looking down at his lap Severus sighed. "I do not know, all I know is I want to give this boy a home. One he seems to never have had."

"Besides the obvious Severus why do you of all people want to be the one to be there for the boy?"

Severus closed his eyes. "I don't know whether it was a hallucination or what, but I saw Lily. She...thanked me for saving her son. She didn't have to say it in words, but I could tell from her eyes that she wanted me to take care of him."

Sending a bit of calming magic into his patient Don nodded in understanding. "Is that the only reason?"

Severus opened his eyes and shook his head. "I had agreed to be his guardian before that. He has no one else, and I know what's that like. If he does not want to stay with me though I will give him a choice of whom he wants to stay with. Maybe the Weasleys, he seems very close to the family."

Don shook his head slightly. "Severus, the way he clung to you this evening I doubt he would want to be anywhere else."

"Are you sure? Am I doing the right thing?"

Sending a bit more calming magic into Severus Don nodded. "You will be good for him, and I think he will be good for you. Just remember that I am always here to help you if you need any assistance as always."

Severus nodded. "Thank you."

Don slowly stopped the calming magic and patted Severus on the shoulder. "I will leave you then so you can get some sleep. I predict you're going to need it. Are you two going to classes tomorrow?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't think of that. I'll have to ask the Headmaster for at least two days off so the boy can finish physically healing. I also have a suspicion that he will need new clothing. When I undressed him earlier the state of his shorts was deplorable. They were filled with holes and looked much too big for him."

Don nodded and got up from the couch. Before he left through the floo though, Don turned to Severus and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember Severus, call me about anything."

"I know."

With that Don stepped through the floo and left Severus alone in his rooms again. Slightly sighing he sat down on the couch rather ungracefully and leaned his head back closing his eyes. There, he saw a glimpse of a rad head thanking him again. Opening his eyes Severus shook his head.

"I need sleep."

Severus then stood and made way for his bedroom to get his much needed rest. He knew Don was right, and he was going to need it, he now had a Gryffindor living with him.


	3. The Ministry

Looks like I'm continuing this! :) Thank you Beta Reader for looking this over!

* * *

><p>In the middle of the night Severus woke to an ear shattering scream coming from the room next to him. In a second, he was out of his bed with his wand in hand. In the next moment, he was running out of his bedroom and into Harry's to see what was wrong.<p>

As soon as Severus burst through the door and saw that there were no intruders he lowered his wand and went over to Harry who was still in his bed, screaming. Freeing the boy from the tangled covers**,** he lifted him up into his arms and then sat down on the bed. Gently**,** Severus rocked the child back and forth trying to soothe him out of his nightmare.

"Come on**. **Wake up Harry. You're safe here at Hogwarts; nobody here will ever hurt you."

With a few more soothing mumbles and rocking from Severus, the child slowly began to wake. When Harry's eyes finally opened**, **he buried his head into Severus's chest and started to sob.

"Hey now, everything is ok. It was just a nightmare."

The sobbing died down a bit and Harry looked up at Severus with tear filled eyes. Severus gently stroked the child's hair away from his face.

"Do you know where you are Harry?"

"Hogwarts?"

"Very good Harry. Do you want to talk about what your nightmare was about?"

Violently**,** Harry shook his head and Severus let out a small sigh. He should have known that it was not going to be that easy. So Severus softly began to pry a bit more.

"I know it hurts Harry to remember and talk about it right now, but I promise you will feel better afterword."

"Please**.**"

Severus silently summoned up a warm wet washcloth and gently wiped the tears away from Harry's face.

"You can tell me anything Harry. Come on, please talk to me."

It was the please that did it for Harry. No one had ever asked him to do anything before, just demanded him to do things.

"I** . . .** I dreamt about** . . . **about when my Aunt took me to the doctor** . . .**"

As Harry trailed off Severus readjusted the child so that his head was now resting on Severus's shoulder.

"How old were you Harry? Was that the only time she took you to see a medical professional?"

Harry moved his head up and down against Severus's shoulder. "I was five, and the school said I had to have a physical."

"Go on Harry."

"I **. . .** I saw the man in the white coat give my Aunt some money, and then she **. . . **she left the room. She left me alone with him."

Severus continued to rub the boy's back soothingly, but he looked down at the boy in shock. So someone _had _done something in that manner. Shit.

"What happened in the office Harry? After your Aunt left?"

"He **. . .** he said he was just doing a normal physical and **. . . **and although I never had a physical before **. . . **I knew **. . . **I knew."

Harry the began to sob into Severus's shoulder again. Severus gently wrapped both arms around the child and whispered soothing words into the boy's ear while rocking him.

"I'm . . . I'm . . . s . . . sorry!"

"Shhh, it's ok Harry. You can cry as long as you need to, there is no need to be sorry."

Nodding slowly against Severus's shoulder Harry continued to sob out his heart. When he seemed to calm down a bit Severus gently tried to get Harry to tell him more. Severus really hated making him relive all the pain this small child had faced, but talking was the only way to overcome something this awful.

"Can you tell me what he did Harry?"

"I...I can't."

That was Severus's cue to back off, and he did. He knew that they would eventually have to talk about what had happened, but not now. Harry was almost hyperventilating and shaking.

"Ok Harry, we don't have to talk about it right now, we will have to at some point though."

Almost immediately Harry seemed to calm down and Severus tried to continue. "I know I just said we will not talk about what happened, and we will not, but I want you to know something. I want you to know that no one will ever hurt you like that again, not I, Don, or any of the other teachers here. That is my promise, and I do not make promises I cannot keep."

Against Severus's shoulder Harry nodded a bit and the shaking slowly stopped. Casting a silent tempus charm Severus saw that it was almost two in the morning, and Harry should try to get at least a bit more rest.

"Do you think you can sleep a bit more Harry?"

Severus was answered with a wide yawn from a sleepy child and Severus gave one of his small half smiles while he turned placing the boy on the bed. Gently Severus pulled the covers up so that they were beneath the boy's chin.

"Now remember Harry, I am right next door. If you need, anything at all do not hesitate to come and get me."

Before the boy could answer though, sleep overtook his body and he was snoring before Severus got up from his spot on the boy's bed. Looking down at the child Severus sadly sighed and used the still warm washcloth to clean off the rest of the tear stains on the boy's face.

So much hurt and pain in such a small child. How could anyone hurt someone so young and innocent was beyond him. He was just a child. Relatives no matter how distant were supposed to love and care for children, not beat them, starve them, and by Merlins sake _sell_ their bodies.

At that last thought Severus felt physically ill and he made a quiet dash to the bathroom. When he got there he emptied his stomach, not that he had much of an appetite tonight when he ate in the first place. Then, with his back against the tub and breathing heavily Severus fished out the doe pendent and called Don.

A minute later Severus heard Don floo into him chambers and then saw him as he entered the bathroom. In an instant Don was kneeling by his side still in his nightclothes.

"What's the matter Severus? Are you not well?"

Don made some motion to the mess Severus had made and Severus blushed just now realizing that he had forgotten to clear away the evidence before he had called Don. Seeing the blush as a confession of sorts Don felt Severus's forehead and when he felt nothing wrong he moved it down over Severus's stomach. Don then nodded as if in understanding and removed a potion from his pocket. He always kept an assortment of potions with him at all times; he had learned it was much better to be prepared.

Uncorking the potion Don held it to Severus's lips. "It's a stomach soother and will make you feel better Severus."

With that Severus accepted the potion from Don and swallowed it in one gulp. Almost insistently Severus felt the results of the potion and he sighed in relief.

Don let the man just breathe for a few moments, and then he asked him what he wanted to know. "What made you lose your dinner like that Severus? I have seen you come back for death eater meetings in better shape than this."

Closing his eyes for a moment Severus took a deep calming breath. Seeing his reaction Don placed a calming hand on Severus's shoulder and sent a touch of calming magic his way.

"Harry had a nightmare."

Don nodded in understanding, although he still did not understand why Severus had become this upset. "He revealed something troubling then?"

"You asked him yesterday if anyone ever touched him inappropriately?"

Again Don nodded his head. "Yes, remember when I asked you to leave the room for a moment. I thought he would be more comfortable talking with a Healer about that."

"He lied to you, more than likely he thought it was out of self-preservation. His Aunt...that _woman_ sold him to a muggle doctor. I do not know specifics for he was too upset for that at the moment, but I know that much."

Suppressing a sigh Don sat down leaning against the tub next to Severus. "No wonder he felt uncomfortable alone with me or Poppy. He...he must have thought...oh Merlin!"

Slowly Severus nodded. "I . . . I don't know whether I can do this."

"Let me ask you something Severus. What did you do when you heard Harry having a nightmare?"

"I did what anyone would do. I held him until he calmed down and tried to have him tell me what he dreamt about."

"Not everyone would do that Severus, only someone who cares."

Severus sighed and looked down at his lap. "You really think I can help him?"

Don nodded. "I know you can. Now quit doubting yourself and go to bed!"

Severus gave Don one of his rare smiles and made a move to get up. Before he could though, Don was on his feet and was helping him up.

"Take it easy Severus and let me help you. You were just sick and you're tired."

Again, Severus blushed as Don helped the man out of the bathroom and into bed. As soon as Severus's head hit the pillow he was out cold. Don let out a smile and shook his head fondly.

"Oh Severus, I'm never going to rest with you around."

With that Don, quietly backed out of Severus's room and closed the door behind him. Seeing the door beside Severus's was open he quietly stepped in to make sure everything was ok.

What he saw was not the sleeping child Severus said he had left, but a scared looking boy sitting up in bed looking at him with wide eyes.

"Hi there Harry. Is everything ok?"

Harry gave a small nod, and Don sighed. The child was obviously afraid of him. With a sad smile Don came and sat next to Harry on the bed. Gently Don placed a hand on Harry's knee who tried to suppress a flinch and failed.

"It's ok Harry. I'm just going to give you some calming magic."

Harry gave a small nod, and Don started to try to calm the boy's nerves.

Instantly Harry felt his body relax as the magic flowed through him. Maybe this man wouldn't hurt him as the other doctor had. Snape said that he wouldn't and his heart was telling him to trust them. Could he really do that though? Could he really trust them?

"I know you have a hard time trusting people; I would too if I had undergone what you have, but know that me and Severus only have your best intentions in mind."

Don then got up and softly placed a hand on Harry's shoulder gently pushing him down onto the soft bed.

"Try to get some sleep Harry. I'll be back in the morning to see how you're doing, ok?"

Harry gave a small nod, and Don sent enough calming magic into Harry to help him fall asleep. When Harry was fully asleep, Don smiled a bit and left the room shutting the door behind him. He then proceeded to the floo and flooed home for the night.

* * *

><p>The next morning Severus was again rudely awoken, but instead of a scared little boy who woke him it was the floo flaring to life. Quickly getting out of bed and dressing as best he could he went out to see who was calling at . . . Merlin! Six in the morning! Who would be calling this early?<p>

Straightening his last bit of robes he read the scroll beside the fireplace and frowned a little. Madam Roloon, Social Worker.

Had Albus not done the right paperwork? Were there going to be more hoops to jump through then he had thought? He hadn't even really had time to talk to the boy yet about his guardianship. Couldn't the Ministry have given him a few days? Sighing Severus realized that they apparently could not if there were already a social worker here.

Quickly Severus opened the floo and let the woman in. When she arrived Severus gave her a warm greeting and extended his hand for her to shake. All she did though was look at his hand in disgust and sneer at him. Not a very good sign.

"What have you done with the boy?"

Severus looked at the witch with genuine confusion. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean."

"What have you done to harm the boy and coax him into agreeing to stay with a death eater like you? Did you torture him, threaten him?"

Dumbfounded Severus looked at the woman in shock. "I have done nothing of the sort! I think you misunderstand my intentions here. I found that his relatives were not treating him right, and I brought him here to be healed. I have not asked him whether he wants to be my ward yet, but I thought that until we can find someone better suited to the job I am better than those muggles."

"Again I ask what did you to him!"

Again, Severus just looked at the woman his anger was rising though. "You want to know what I did? Then, I'll tell you what I did. I healed his wounds and brought in help when I could not. I dried his tears after he cried on my shoulder. I woke him from a nightmare and comforted him. That is what I did. I cared for him."

The social worker narrowed her eyes when looking at Severus. "Like I believe that! Where is he? I am here on the Minister's orders to take the child back to him for further questioning to your miss-deeds and then back to his relatives for recovery and until your firing."

Severus silently sent a patronus to Albus letting him know what was happening and quickly grabbed at the pendent around his neck. He hoped Albus could stop it, but if they truly forced Harry to go to the Ministry it would be better if he had Don there with him.

In the next moment, the Headmaster was coming out of the floo with Don close behind him. Albus looked around and saw the new face. Confused he looked at Severus and saw the slight glimmer of worry in his eyes.

"What's going on my boy?"

Severus took a deep breath to try to reign in the anger he was feeling towards this woman. "This social worker had orders from the Minister to take Harry away from me and have me fired. He also wants to send Harry back to his relatives for "recovery".

Albus turned and looked at the woman. "You cannot take a child away from Hogwarts unless his family requests it, or the child in question is in need or dire medical attention. I have not had proper notification of the first and I assure you Harry does not need to be hospitalized."

Madam Roloon payed no attention to Albus though, and started to fling doors open in every direction. "What the Minister says is final. Now, I will tare this place apart looking for the boy or you will point me to him."

Albus sighed. "Will you at least let the boy's Healer accompany him? He is a bit fragile presently."

She waved her hand as it was no concern to her. "Fine then. Does that mean I do not have to continue to search?"

Sighing audibility Severus nodded. "Let me have a few moments with him and tell him what is happening and then I will bring him out."

Grimacing at Severus the social worker realized that she had no other choice. "Fine then, you have five minutes and then I'm coming after you."

Nodding Severus made his way towards Harry's room. Opening the door he was met with a scared little boy crouching in the corner with his arms over his head.

Quickly Severus came and sat next to the child drawing him into his lap and wrapping his arms around him.

"I take it you heard what that lady was saying?"

A slow nod came from his chest area and Severus let out a small sigh. "I will fight them tooth and nail Harry. If they make you go back it will only be for a short time, and Don will be with you the entire time. No one will be able to hurt you with him there, he will not let them. I promise you."

Although Harry might not trust Severus nor Don wholly they_ had_ healed him and actions always speak louder then words. Would Don change though when they got back to Pivot Drive as the others had? Harry sighed into Severus arms and soaked up the last bit of comfort that was being offered guessing that he really had no choice in the matter at all. He would find out eventually.

"Are you ready Harry?"

Again, Harry gave a small nod into Severus's chest. Then, Severus gently helped the child to his feet before he got to his own.

"You should be ok to walk on that ankle, but let someone know if it starts to hurt. Ok?"

Harry nodded and looked down at his feet. Sighing softly Severus took a shoulder in each hand and knelt before the boy.

"Look at me Harry."

Slowly Harry's eyes met Severus's and Severus let a small smile grace his face. "Your relatives might never have told you this, but what I'm about to tell you is true. You are a very special boy Harry, and people care about you. I care about you. This lady might take you away today, but if you ever need me..."

Severus fished a chain with a small pendent on it out of his pocket. Harry looked at it in awe; it was beautiful similar to Severus's except the pendent looked like a small fawn.

"It's...it's beautiful."

"It's for you Harry. If you ever need me just hold it close and say Severus Snape; I will be there as soon as I can. If you ever need Don just call Healer Patterson and he will come."

"Are you sure?"

Severus nodded and unclasped the chain. He then put it around Harry's neck and clasped it again. Then, with a wave of his wand Harry found himself no longer in pajamas, but in his school robes.

"Thank you sir."

"There is no need to thank me Harry. Come on the sooner you go with this social worker, the sooner you can come back to Hogwarts."

The boy nodded and Severus got up off his knees. With a hand still on Harry's shoulders, he led the boy from his room stopping just outside so he could slip on Harry's shoes and tie them. He had hoped to ask Harry about the knots in his shoes, but now was just not the time. They had other things to worry about at the moment.

Just before the two made it into sitting room where Albus, Don, and the social worker were Severus stopped and looked down at the boy who was looking more nervous with every step.

"Calm down Harry, take a deep breath."

Harry did as he was told and took a few deep breaths. Amazingly he seemed to calm down with every breath he took.

"How does your ankle feel?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders still focusing on his breathing. Severus took a deep breath of his own.

"Don will have to take a look at it then."

Harry nodded and the two continued their trek down the hall and into the sitting room. When they arrived, Harry found himself pressed against a woman's chest. Instinctively he flinched and tried to pull back.

"What has he done to you? You poor thing, don't worry we'll get you away from here immediately."

"I . . . I . . . I'm sorry ma'am, but I don't know what you're talking about and...I...I don't want to leave..."

"Nonsense, you're stressed, let's go now."

With a look at Severus, who nodded at him Harry gave a small nod of his own. He then looked over at Don who came over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll be with you the whole time, ok Harry?"

Closing his eyes for a moment Harry nodded. Again, this was not the most ideal situation and Harry was nervous as hell, but what could he do other than go along? So he let Don take his hand and they both followed the witch through the floo. Before he left though he looked back at Severus and saw that Albus was the only thing keeping him from following them. It was in that moment that Harry felt a pain in his heart, and he realized that although only a day had passed since Severus had discovered what was happing that he had come to depend on the man he was leaving behind.

Coming through the floo Harry fell to his knees and started to heave. A gentle hand came and started to rub his back though, and Harry's stomach slowly settled. He then felt someone kneel next to him and gently helped him stand.

"You ok now, Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod and the two slowly followed Madam Roloon through the many corridors of the ministry. A few more hallways down though Don noticed Harry was limping more than he had been earlier.

Catching up to the social worker he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, but can we find somewhere to sit down? Harry here had a broken ankle, and it seems to be getting worse. I need to look at it."

"Can't it wait?"

Don rose an eyebrow. "You do realize that being a social worker means that you are supposed to keep the child's best interest and health in mind above all else?"

Dramatically she rolled her eyes. "Yes, but the Minister wants him in his office _now_. We are already late."

"Fine then." Don then turned around and placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm going to have to carry you, I really don't want you walking on that anymore."

Harry gave a small nod and allowed Don to pick him up. Don slightly frowned when he felt how light the child was, but then he gave the boy a reassuring smile when he saw the scared look he gave him.

"It will be ok Harry. The Headmaster and Severus will get this all straightened up, and then you can go back to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and buried his head into Don's chest as he had with Severus. He didn't really know what was happening, but Harry did know one thing. Even though this man was a doctor, he was nice and he would not hurt him. Severus had said so, and he...he trusted him?

Was this really trust he felt in his heart? He had never really trusted anyone before. Well, he had when he was little, but he had learned the hard way that it was not the smartest thing to do. These men though he knew, he didn't really know how he knew, but he knew that they wold not hurt him.

Not realizing that tears had started to flow from his eyes Harry started to wet the front of Don's robe. When he felt the wet patch Don looked down in concern.

"What's the matter Harry?"

Harry shook his head and buried his head further into Don's chest. Don sighed and sat down in the nearest chair he could find not caring what the social worker would think. Slowly Don rearranged Harry so that he was sitting sideways on his lap, to have access to the boy's ankle.

"What are you doing?"

Don looked up at the angry social worker and gave her a glare. He rarely got angry, but when he was he was a force to be reckoned with. "Harry is in pain, and I need to see to his medical needs."

"We can do that when the boy is sent back to his relatives."

"Are you seeing the same child I am? Do you see him crying in pain? Where is your compassion?"

The people in the hallway looked on with curious eyes as they passed by. Wondering what exactly was happening. Then, someone who was passing by recognized who the child was and came over immediately to kneel before the two sitting down.

"Harry, are you ok? What happened?"

Don looked curiously at the new man who was so concerned for the boy on his lap. "Do you know Harry?"

Looking up at Don Arthur Weasley nodded. "He's my son's best friend. What happened?"

"It's a long story, but at the moment he needs medical attention and this_ social worker_ will not let me tend to him."

Arthur nodded in understanding and went over to the woman who was glaring at the three of them. He then turned back to Don and Harry. "Don't worry I'll take care of her, just take care of Harry."

Don nodded and started to tend to Harry as Arthur started to ream out the social worker. First, Don rolled up Harry's pants leg and then he took off his shoe and sock. Don sighed as he saw the inflamed flesh of Harry's leg pressing up against the cast. Quickly he magicked off the cast and gently prodded the swollen limb. After feeling the ankle Don sighed again. It seemed that the boy had somehow moved the bone and re-injured it. Maybe when he had woken from his nightmare or when Severus had found in his the corner this morning?

"It looks as though you hurt your ankle again, Harry. I'll get you all fixed up again though, don't worry."

Quickly Don placed both hands on Harry's ankle and sent just enough healing magic to mend the bone again. He then ripped a piece of his own robe and wrapped it around the limb calling a hardening spell as he did so.

Harry looked up at the healer in awe tears still present in his eyes. "You...you ripped your own robe..."

"I did Harry. I have more at home, and your health is more important then my wardrobe."

"Thank you..."

"It's ok Harry. Now I'm still going to have to carry you, if we had crutches this would be a different story, but alas we do not. I don't want you to injure yourself again."

Harry gave a small nod. He actually somewhat liked the closeness although he would never admit it. No one had ever held him or carried him like that when he was small, and he felt that it was kind of making up for lost time.

Before being lifted up into Don's arms again, Harry caught a quick glance at of Arthur. He had somewhat noticed the man's presence before, but had been too focused on the pain to really recognize that it was him.

Walking over to the two who were still bickering. Well, it was more Arthur scolding the woman who had been so short with them. As soon as Arthur saw Harry come over though he stopped and gave the boy a warm smile.

"How are you feeling Harry?"

Harry turned his face into Don's chest and Don looked down to give Harry a confused glance. "Hey, hey now. Talk to me Harry, what's up?"

Mumbling softly so only Don could hear Harry tried to explain. "He...he didn't stop...the Minister from sending me back..."

Don nodded in understanding. "Don't worry Harry, he's not here to send you away. Quite the opposite he's here to help you stay with Severus."

As he was saying the last part, he looked up at Arthur to see whether he agreed and smiled when he saw a nod.

Impatiently the witch looked at the three. "Can we go _now_?"

Don sighed. "Lead the way."

As the three headed down the halls again Don quietly explained what had happened to Arthur. When Don had mentioned the mistreatment the Dursleys had been handing out to their nephew it took everything in Arthur to not snatch up the child himself and hug him close. All he could think was that if he had _listened_ to the twins then maybe it would not have come to this. Merlin he felt ashamed.

Slowly the four made their way to the office they had been summoned too. Harry still in Don's arms and Arthur walking silently beside them trying to process all this new information. When they got to the Minister's office, he called them in without even looking up from his desk and started talking.

"What took you so long to get the boy from that death eater? Dumbledore has been bugging me this entire time. We're almost out of time before the old coot wins. We need to get the boy to his relatives before Dumbledore can come and take him."

The four new people in the room just stood there in shock for a moment. Immediately after the Minister looked up from his desk his face paled realizing what he had revealed to the wrong people. His face then became red with anger.

"Who are all these people? You were only supposed to bring the boy!"

Arthur stepped forward. "These_ people_ as you are calling us are here because we are concerned about the _boy_. Harry is not some tool you can use in politics; he is a _child. _A child for Merlin's sake!"

Then turning to Don Arthur continued. "I think we should go back to Hogwarts now, since the Minister was planning on endangering a child's life. I believe the aurers will be hearing about this."

Don gave a quick nod and was very glad that they had met Arthur in the corridor. With a scared child in his arms, he could do only so much without scarring him even more. Following Arthur out the door they left a shell shocked Minister and social worker for Arthur was known as being a soft spoken reserved man around the Ministry.

The two men and Harry quickly made their way back through the Ministry and to the nearest floo so they could floo Harry home.

Before they flooed Harry home though, Don turned to Arthur and extended a hand. "I'm sorry I never introduced myself. I'm Healer Patterson, but you can call me Don."

Arthur took Don't hand. "It's ok, things were a little crazy back there. I'm Arthur Weasley. Thank you for taking care of Harry, from the sound of it it's about time someone's been there for him."

He then looked down at Harry and gave him a small smile. "When you see Ron and the twins can you tell them how proud I am of them."

Harry gave a small smile and nodded. "Thank you"

"There is no need to thank me Harry. I did what any adult would have done. I am so sorry for not listening to my sons this summer, they have a tendency to over exaggerate. I am very glad that Professor Snape has been there for you though if you need anything at all know that you can come to either me or Molly, ok?"

Harry gave another shy nod. "You're...you're not coming with us?"

Smiling down at the boy Arthur shook his head. "I can't right now. I have to go to the aurors and report the Minister. What he was trying to do was inexcusable and against the law. I'll visit you later though, how does that sound?"

"That sound good."

Don smiled at the interaction. They then all said their goodbyes, and Don went through the floo still holding the child.


	4. Guardianship

Just a moment after Severus heard the floo go off he found himself with his arms full of Harry. Closing his eyes and resting his chin on Harry's head Severus held the child close to him.

"Oh Harry."

Don had come through the floo with Harry in his arms, but as soon as Harry had spotted Severus he had wiggled down and had dashed for the dark robed man. Watching the interaction between Severus and Harry Don had to smile. Harry might not really realize it, yet, but it seemed that he really trusted Severus.

After a few moments, Don came over and placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder. "Harry didn't have anything to eat this morning did he?"

Severus shook his head still clinging to the child, just happy that Harry had come back to him safe and sound. He had been so worried about him while he was gone and if he were honest with himself Albus was the only one who had kept him from following them as they had left.

Gently Don pried the two apart and lifted Harry up into his own arms. "Let's get you something to eat, both of you."

Don gave Severus a pointed look and rose an eyebrow while Severus gave a slight grimace. "Hey now, don't give that look. I know you don't eat as much as you should and don't you want to be a good example for Harry here?"

"Ok, I'll call a house elf to fetch some breakfast for the three of us?"

Don gave a small nod and carried the boy to the kitchen table. Carefully he set the boy down in the chair and then knelt down before him. "I know I just wrapped this, but that was more of a quick fix. I would like to take care of it more properly if you don't mind."

"Ok, sir." Harry looked down at his lap somewhat ashamed for practically jumping on his Professor when they had arrived.

Gently Don reached up and placed his hand underneath Harry's chin tilting it up so that they met eyes. "You know Harry; you don't have to call me Sir. I am your Healer, but I am also your friend. Please call me by my name."

Harry gave a small nod, and Don just smiled at the child. "Now let's see whether we can heal this ankle once and for all, ok?"

Again Harry nodded, and Don removed his hand from Harry's chin. Slowly Don removed the boy's shoe and sock while rolling up his pants leg. Gently he removed the cast and gave a small smile when he saw that the swelling had gone down considerably. Looking up at the boy still smiling he patted the child on the knee.

"I'll be right back Harry. I know you're still in pain, and I want to fix that with a few pain potions and a fresh bandage."

Just at that moment Severus walked through the door with a tray full of three plates of food. Don got up off the ground and went over to the man. Quietly he whispered something in his ear and Severus nodded as if he was agreeing to something. The Healer then left the room and Severus entered all the way placing the tray down on the table. He placed on plate by his spot and another by Don's the third though went in front of Harry.

The plate he had placed in front of Harry had a small bowl of oatmeal on it and a few chunks of fruit on the side along with a large glass of milk. Harry looked down at awe.

"Is this really for me?"

"Yes; of course, Harry. Remember now to drink the glass of milk before you eat anything and please let one of us know if you need a stomach soother."

Harry looked down at his lap still sitting sideways in his chair. Quietly he mumbled something so quiet that if Severus didn't have enhanced hearing he would have missed completely.

Closing his eyes for a moment Severus then came and pulled a chair up so that he was now sitting next to the boy. He then gently pulled the boy into his lap.

"You've never had a meal at the table before? Where did you eat then?"

Resting his head on Severus shoulder Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Mostly in my cupboard, if I was allowed any food."

Severus then wrapped his arms around the child and closed his eyes for a long moment. "That will never happen here Harry. Here, you will eat three meals a day and you will always have them at the table."

Harry's head moved up and down against Severus shoulder as Don came back into the room. Smiling at the scene before him Don came over and sat in the chair Harry had just occupied while placing the supplies he had gathered from Severus's store cupboard on the table. He then reached for the glass of milk and handed the glass to Severus while giving another smile to the two on the chair.

"Why don't you have some milk while I tend to your ankle? Then, we can all sit down and have some breakfast together."

Harry nodded and accepted the glass from Severus. Wrapping both hands around the large glass so it would not fall he started to sip greedily. After a few minutes though, Severus gently took the glass away from Harry's mouth.

"Slow down Harry and breathe. We don't want you getting sick now."

As Severus took care of Harry drinking his milk Don took care of the child's ankle. Gently rubbing potions and creams all over the limb he slowly sent a bit more healing magic into it. He then slowly began to wrap it with the proper material this time sending a hardening spell into it as he did.

Immediately after Don was finished, he slipped on Harry's sock and then his shoe tying it for the child. Looking up at Harry Don gave a small smile while patting him on the leg.

"All done Harry. Please say something if it starts to hurt again so we can take care of it."

Harry gave a small nod and handed the more than half-empty glass back to Severus.

"All done Harry?"

Leaning back into Severus's shoulder he again gave a small nod while Severus placed the glass back on the table. Wrapping his arms around the child Severus gave the boy one last squeeze before letting go while Don got out of the chair he was sitting on. Severus then gently lifted the boy and placed him where Don was not a moment ago.

Then, getting out of his chair himself Severus scooted Harry's under the table so that he could reach his food more easily. The man then sat back in the chair he had just vacated while Don found a chair across from the two. Placing the bowl of oatmeal and fruit a little closer to the boy Severus placed a hand on Harry's before he could grab his spoon.

"Remember to take it slowly Harry. One bite at a time."

Harry nodded and Severus removed his hand so that Harry could start to eat. Even with Severus's reminder though, Harry couldn't help eating as if it was his last meal. He was never really hungry until the food was directly in front of him. When the did food came within eyesight though, at least this bland food that he knew he could digest, he suddenly got so hungry that he felt like him insides were eating one another.

Slightly sighing when he saw Harry start to dig in Severus looked up at Don with a bit of worry in his eyes. He knew this was what starvation did to someone, but it still hurt him so much to see a child acting this way. Eating every meal as if it was his last or if it was going to be taken away.

Oblivious to the two staring at each other having a silent conversation across from the table Harry continued on eating. That is until Don gently placed a hand on Harry's to stop him from stuffing his mouth.

"Slow down Harry. I want you to chew at least five times every time you take a bite and then take a deep breath. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll...I'll try."

Don nodded and watched as Harry did try to slow down his eating. Often giving someone a task while they were eating helped them focus on that instead of shoving as much food down their throats as they could.

As the two men watched Harry eat, they began to eat their breakfast as well. Don sent glances at Severus when the man stopped eating every so often or looked as if he was about to finish. Every time Severus just sighed and took some more food.

Only a few others knew about Severus's eating troubles. That was how Don had met Severus in the first place. Albus had watched the thin Slytherin get thinner and thinner his fourth year in school and had become even more concerned when Lily Evens had fetched him because the child had passed out in the hallway and was refusing treatment. It was then that the Headmaster had sought outside help from a clinic. Don had immediately bonded with Severus, noticing what many others missed, and had become his Healer and mentor of sorts. As the boy had grown into a man, the Healer had made a point to meet with him at least once a week to verify he was taking care of himself and had continued to do so even after his Hogwarts days.

Severus would never admit it, especially at this very moment when Don was making him eat, but he really was grateful for the Healer and his content prodding. Really Don was one of the only reasons Severus was able to be sitting beside Harry in the first place. For, if Don had not foreseen what Lily's death would do to the man Hogwarts would have one more ghost haunting the castle.

When the bowl in front of Harry was more than halfway empty Harry put down his spoon and looked down at the bowl. Placing a hand on Harry's Severus looked at Harry concerned.

"What's wrong Harry?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't finish it."

"That's ok Harry. Do you want to try to have a few pieces of fruit?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus handed the child a fork so that he could eat a few bites of fruit. Harry took the fork and diligently ate each bite of food as if he was severing the flavors. After eating only two pieces though, Harry looked down at his plate sadly.

"Don't worry Harry, we'll have some more fruit later, ok?"

Nodding slightly Harry mumbled something that only Severus could hear because he was so near.

"You are excused Harry. Call us if you need any help."

Harry slid off his chair and went over to the restroom. As soon as Harry was out of earshot Severus sent a glance at Don. "Care to explain what happened at the Ministry this morning?"

Don sighed and launched into his explanation of what had happened with the Minister and Arthur Weasley. After he was finished, he paused for a second to let the man absorb all the new information and then told Severus what he had been pondering all morning, especially after Harry had re-injured himself.

"I'm wondering if it would benefit Harry to spend a few days at the clinic."

That immediately caught Severus's attention. He looked up from his plate of food and looked intently at Don. "Why?"

"Well, as I told you when I examined his ankle in the Ministry his bones seemed weaker then they should be and when I examined him just now it was not just for the purpose of wrapping it properly I also wanted to reconfirm. I would like to run a few tests on Harry, specifically a bone density test and a few on his internal organs just so that we are positive he is ok."

"Can't you do those tests here? I don't think we should take him out of an environment he seems to be comfortable in so soon."

Don smiled at Severus's concern and patted him on the hand. "Yes, we could do those tests here, but I also thought the environment there would benefit him. When he sees that other people have problems as well and that he is not weak. I remember that helped you a great deal."

Severus blushed and looked down at his lap. "Should he come back here at night as I did?"

Smiling again Don nodded and got off his chair. "I will go talk to Albus about this and arrange for his schoolwork to be sent to the center so that he does not miss too much."

Severus also got up from his chair banishing the empty dishes as he did so and then he went over and knocked on the bathroom door to see whether Harry was ok. The child had been in there for an awful long time.

"Harry, everything ok in there?"

When no reply came Severus came Severus knocked again. "Harry?"

There was still no reply and Severus's concern took over. "Harry, I'm coming in."

Severus opened the door quietly, but not so quietly that Harry would not hear him enter. He did not want to startle the boy after all. As soon as the door was completely open Severus looked around for Harry and finally spotted him through the shower curtain. He was seated in the tub, and he was hugging his knees close to his body.

"Harry?"

Only a few whimpers came from the tub and Severus sighed. He then came and pulled back the curtain and sat down near the tub placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry, can you please look up at me?"

Slowly Harry's tear covered face looked up at Severus. Gently Severus moved his hand from Harry's shoulder to cup his cheek.

"What's wrong Harry?"

"I'm sorry."

"What for Harry?"

Harry blushed and looked down. The smell then hit Severus's nose and Severus let out a small sigh. Standing up he lifted the boy out of the tub by the armpits and set him down in front of him. Kneeling down in front of where he had set Harry on his feet he reached up and gently rose Harry's chin so that he was looking into his eyes.

"It's ok Harry. We all have accidents. Now let's get you cleaned up, ok?"

As Severus removed his hand from Harry chin the boy gave a small nod. Severus then got up from where he was kneeling and started the shower.

"Why don't you hop in the shower and I'll go grab you some clothes, ok? Then, when you're dressed we have some things to talk about."

Harry again nodded and Severus went to leave the room, but before he left he turned to the look at the child. "Please don't hesitate to call me if you need anything Harry."

When Severus saw the nod he gave one of his own and gently shut the door behind him. He then summoned a house elf and asked his to fetch Harry a fresh pair of Robes. The elf popped away, but soon came back with empty hands. Confused Severus looked at the nervous elf.

"Why did you not bring any of his things?"

The elf wrung his hands together and looked down at his feet. "I is sorry sir, but I is not finding anything in his trunk except clothes that are way too big."

Sighing Severus looked down at the poor elf who probably thought he would be punished for something that was out of his control. "That's all right Dibble, you can go back to the kitchen now."

As the elf popped away Severus went to his own room and grabbed a set of all may be black, but they were clothes none the less. Shrinking them down so they would fit Harry Severus then made his way back to the bathroom. Knocking on the door he then entered seeing a shadow behind the curtain.

"I'll leave you the robes on the sink, ok Harry?"

"Yes sir"

"I'll be right outside in the living room."

Severus placed the clothing where he said he would and closed the door behind him as he left the bathroom. The man then made his way towards the floo and threw some floo powder into the fireplace calling the Headmaster's office.

The Headmasters concerned face appeared in the fireplace a moment later. "Is everything ok Severus?"

"For the most part Albus. Could you please just ask Don whether it is ok for us to buy some clothing before we head to the clinic tomorrow? It seems Harry only has one set of robes, and he is in desperate need of new undergarments."

Albus nodded, and then he turned around to ask Don Severus's question. Severus saw a small nod from Albus and then as Albus tuned back around he saw the small sad smile gracing his lips.

"Yes you can and why don't you take a few days off as well so you can go to the clinic as well? At least until the end of the week?"

"I don't need to go to the clinic Albus except to be with Harry." Severus scowled at the Headmaster.

Albus gave Severus a gentle look ." I know you haven't been eating that well."

Severus humphed and looked away somewhat embarrassed. "I'm fine."

"I know you are Severus, but could you just humor an old man?"

"Fine, I'll accompany Harry."

Albus flashed Severus a smile and Severus saw the twinkle in his eyes light up. Sighing Severus took his head away from the fireplace and sat down on the couch. The next minute a freshly showered boy came from the bathroom and shyly stood in the doorway.

Severus saw the boy and patted the place on the couch next to him. "Come and sit down with me Harry."

Harry did what he was told and walked over to sit next to Severus on the couch folding his hands in his lap as he did.

"I'm really sorry sir."

Placing a hand on both of Harry's Severus set his sites on soothing the child. "Like I said before there is no need to be sorry. Everyone has accidents."

Harry blushed and looked down at his lap slightly squeezing Severus's larger hand. Severus sighed and decided that it might just be best to move onto a different subject.

"I wanted to ask you something Harry. I wanted to ask whether you would like to stay with me and become my ward. If you don't want to, we can find someone else for you to stay with instead of your relatives, maybe the Weasleys?"

Suddenly Severus found himself with a lap full of Harry who was clutching to his robes as if his very life depended on it. After overcoming his initial shock, Severus wrapped his arms around Harry.

"I'll take that as a yes."

The two sat there for a while. Harry with his face buried in Severus's robes and Severus gently rubbing his back. When Harry pulled his head back a little to look up at Severus the man gave the boy a small smile.

"As soon as you came back from the Ministry I sent a patronus to Albus and he has since been getting the paper work together that the Minister messed up this morning. When Madam Bones signed the papers Albus sent me a notice if you don't mind she will be by later to get my signature as well as yours."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus continued.

"Tomorrow morning we'll then go to get some new clothes. The house elves told me about your clothing situation. Then, I think we will both take a trip to Don's clinic so that Don can run a few tests and see how we can help you the most."

"You'll...you'll be there?"

"The whole time."

Harry nodded and snuggled his head into Severus. Again Severus wrapped his arms around the child and just held him close.

"Everything will be fine Harry."

* * *

><p>An hour later Severus heard the floo go off behind him. He knew it must be either Albus or Don since the only other person who had his password was Minerva, and she had her hands full with her Gryffindors right now. Knowing this Severus made no motions to move the child who was now sleeping on top of him. He didn't want to disturb the boy from his slumber and if he was honest he was enjoying being a human pillow.<p>

Severus did give a little jump when he heard a woman's voice behind him. Quickly turning just his head he saw that it was Minerva who had gasped at the scene before her. Sighing Severus pointed to the chair beside the couch.

"Have a seat Minerva and I'll explain...unless Albus has already said something?"

Minerva shook her head and came to sit down where Severus had pointed. Then, raising an eyebrow Minerva gave Severus an incredulous look. "Care to explain why you are a human pillow?"

Severus sighed again. "You knew I was watching Harry at meals."

Minerva gave a small nod and Severus continued. "Well, I confronted him after class yesterday. I found he was injured, and I healed him with some help."

Severus looked up into Minerva's eyes. "I'm taking over his guardianship, and we are both going to the clinic tomorrow for a few days."

Minerva nodded and got off the chair she was sitting on so that she could come and sit next the two on the couch. Gently she brushed the hair away from Harry's face while she sighed.

"He looks so peaceful."

She looked up at Severus. "Will he be ok?"

Severus looked down at the boy resting on his shoulder. "In time."

Minerva then rested a hand on Severus's arm "How about you? This is quite a big step from really disliking the boy to...dare I say it care for him."

"I never disliked him, he just reminded me of James and I have come to realize that Harry truly is not his father. Quite far from him, he really is more like his mother."

Severus closed his eyes for a moment and Minerva's hand on his arm gave a gentle squeeze.

"It was not your fault Severus."

"Yes, it was."

"Severus, you know as well as I do that Voldemort had his eyes on them long before you told him the prophecy."

Giving the boy a gentle squeeze Severus closed his eyes again and nodded. When he opened his eyes and looked down he noticed that Harry was opening his sleepy eyes. Giving the boy a small half smile Severus freed his arm from Minerva's hand and brushed back the stray hair that kept obstructing the boy's face. It seemed that a Haircut was in order.

"Good morning sleepy head."

Harry gave a shy smile at his Professor and again rested his head against the man's shoulder. Minerva just smiled at the interaction and decided that Severus could alert the child to her presence, she really didn't want to interrupt them.

"It seems we have a guest Harry."

Harry's head immediately popped up and looked around, but then when he saw it was Minerva he relaxed a bit, but not completely.

"Do...do I have to go back to the tower now?"

Minerva smiled at the child. "No Harry, I think you are in just the right place. And don't worry about your friends. I will tell Mr. Weasley and Mss. Granger that you are ok. In fact, it was those two who told me where you were, they actually seemed glad that you were here and I can see why."

Harry buried his head a bit and blushed. Smiling Minerva placed a hand on Harry's back.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about Harry. I'm just sad that I hadn't seen anything sooner and for that I am sorry."

"It's...it's all right."

Minerva sighed and closed her eyes. "No Harry, no it's not. What they did to you was wrong and I should have noticed."

Severus looked at Minerva as Harry began to shiver a little. "Minerva, maybe it's not the time for that." And Severus made a tiny gesture with his head down to the boy who was now clutching to him.

Minerva slightly nodded and removed her hand from Harry's back. "You're right Severus, I'm sorry Harry. I should take my leave now anyway and have a talk with Albus."

Severus nodded at Minerva as she got off her chair. Before she walked through the floo though, she turned and placed a small kiss on Harry's forehead and whispered something into his ear. "Don't worry, Severus will take good care of you my little lion."

* * *

><p>A few hours later Harry was found siting on the couch next to Severus diligently working on some of the work he had missed that day. Severus had thought that while they were waiting for the Headmaster and Madam Bones that it would be best to do something that would benefit the boy.<p>

While the two were working on Harry's charms work the floo behind them went off and Severus found himself with a boy firmly pressed against his side. Gently placing a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him Severus turned around to see the Headmaster and Madam Bones stepping out. Before getting up to greet his guests, he whispered a few calming and reassuring words into the boy's ears.

When the boy seemed somewhat calm, he got the couch and walked around so he was facing his guests. Extending his hand to Madam Bones he gave her a small smile. "It's nice to see you again Madam Bones."

Accepting the hand she gave a small nod. "Likewise."

"Come and sit down if you would like. I'll order some tea and biscuits."

Madam Bones and Albus came and sat on the couch across for Harry who was looking at them nervously while Severus ordered some tea for the adults and a glass of milk and vegetable sticks for the boy. It was almost lunchtime and Severus thought that this might be a replacement for the meal that is if Harry ate acceptably.

Coming back to the couch Severus had two trays in hand. One he set on the table for the adults and then the other he placed on Harry's lap, but grabbed the glass of milk before it could tip over. Placing it in the boy's hand he made a small gesture for him to drink up.

Then, a heavy silence fell over the four in the living room. The two adults on the couch across from Harry were curiously watching the interactions between Professor and child as Severus slowed down Harry's sipping and made him breathe between gulps.

Finally, the silence was broken by Albus who cleared his throat looking at Severus with a twinkle in his eyes. "So you want to take over Harry's guardianship?"

Severus turned his attention from Harry to the man in front of him. "I do."

Albus nodded, and Madam Bones continued the conversation grateful that the Headmaster had given her a head start. She had never seen the Potion Master act so...kind to anyone and was quite frankly fascinated that one small boy could change him so much in such a short time.

"Do you have any questions to what that entails?"

Severus shook his head turning his attention to the boy seated next to him. "No. I intend to fill all those rolls to the best of my ability. Provide food and clothing for him as well as a safe place for him to sleep. I also intend to be there for him whenever he needs me, physically or emotionally. He will be my son in all, but name."

Madam Bones nodded and watched as Severus took the now drained glass from Harry's hands and pushed the plate of vegetables a little closer to the child. She then sighed as she thought of her other order of business here.

"I don't know whether the Headmaster told you two or not, but I am also in charge of the case against the Dursleys."

She saw as Harry's body tensed up at just the mention of his relatives and closed her eyes for a moment. She really hated it when children were hurt by family members. It didn't happen often in the wizarding word, but when it did it hurt her heart.

"Well, I have to ask you some questions Harry so we can avoid a trial where you would have to speak in front of a lot of people."

Harry put down the carrot stick he was chewing on and nodded his head slowly. While he did so he scooted just a bit closer to Severus and gave a small sigh as Severus wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Did the Dursleys ever hurt you Harry?"

Slowly the child nodded and leaned a bit into Severus. When the man saw, the tray of food was forgotten at the moment Severus gently removed the tray from the boy's lap and placed it on the table.

"You didn't eat very much while you were there either did you?"

Shaking his head slightly Harry looked down at his lap.

"You had a cousin there as well. Were you and your cousin treated equally Harry?"

When Harry shook his head Madam Bones let out a small sigh in relief. She had to know if they were going to have another mistreated child on their hands. They had to remove the boy from their care regardless, but they needed to know whether he had to go into a special home or not.

"Very good Harry. I only have one more question, and then you can spend some time with the Headmaster while I talk to Severus for a moment. Ok?"

Harry gave another small nod and Madam Bones gave the boy a sad smile.

"How long has this been going on Harry?

"Harry shrugged his shoulders and if possible scooted a little closer to Severus. "I...I don't know..."

"That's ok Harry. Severus could I have a word?"

Severus nodded and as he got off the couch Albus took his place beside Harry. Carefully picking up the tray of food Severus had put down and began to encourage the boy to eat something. As Severus left the room with Madam Bones he couldn't help, but give one last worried look in Harry's direction.

As soon as the two arrived in Severus's office Severus sat down in a comfortable looking chair across from the one Madam Bones had taken.

"I wanted to talk to you about this morning Severus, about what happened with the Minister."

Severus nodded. "What he did was unacceptable. He wanted to send the boy back to relatives he knew hurt him."

Sighing Madam Bones nodded. "I know. And that is why he is currently in custody and is being charged for enraging the life of a child. As you know in the Wizarding world that is a serious offense and, he has lost his post as Minister."

Nodding his head in approval Severus sighed. One less thing on his plate to deal with. "Who will be replacing him?"

Madam Bones let out an audible sigh. "It seems, much to my displeasure, that I have been elected. I really don't know why they thought _I _would be good for the job."

Severus had the crack a smile at that. "They voted without you in the room didn't they?"

Again Madam or now Minister Bones sighed. "Yes."

Still with a smile on his face Severus got out of his chair. "We should go and see Albus and Harry now. Unless there is something else you wanted to discuss?"

The new Minister shook her head. "We can discuss the Dursleys at a later time."

Nodding his head both Severus and Minister Bones got out of their seat and went to the door to see how the two in the living room were fairing.

Before entering the living room though, Severus stopped in the doorway watching Albus teaching Harry how to tie his shoes. When the new Minister came behind Severus he just simply held his arm up to stop her from going any further and then pointed to the couch.

The two just watched awhile until a small boy looked up with a look of awe on his face.

"I can tie my shoes!"

Severus then came over and sat on the other side of Harry and gave the boy a hug. "I am so proud of you Harry."

Pulling back from the hug Severus shot Albus a grateful look. He then discreetly looked at the table and saw the plate of half finished vegetables. Harry would be having some soup after Albus and the new Minister left their rooms.

"So how is everything Severus?"

"Everything is fine Albus. The Minister was just telling me some things I'm sure you already know."

"Minister?"

Severus rose an eyebrow and looked at the blushing woman. "She didn't tell you that they made her the new Minister?"

"I believe she forgot to mention that tid bit of information." Albus looked at the new Minister with the twinkle in his eyes full force.

"I believe we will be seeing more of each other than."

The blushing Minister nodded. "We will Headmaster."

Albus then patted Harry on the shoulder and gave Severus a warm look. "Let's see those papers then and then we'll be out of your way."

Minister Bones pulled the last of the paperwork out of her robes and then sat down across from the three.

She then pointed to a line and handed Severus a quill. "Just sign here."

Severus did and then handed the quill to Harry while the Minister was pointing to where Harry was to sign. "Right here dear."

Harry signed as neatly as he could and then handed the quill back to the woman across from him.

"Thank you ma'am."

Patting Harry's hand gently Minister Bones smiled. "There is no need to thank me Harry. Now, the Headmaster and I will leave you two alone."

She then got up from her seat and so did Albus with one last gentle squeeze of Harry's shoulder. They then all said their goodbyes, and Albus left through the floo with the Minister close behind.

As soon as the two left Severus looked at Harry. "How does your stomach feel?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's a bit upset."

Severus nodded. "Thank you for telling me Harry."

He then summoned a vial of stomach soother and handed it to the boy." Drink it up Harry and then how about some warm soup?"

Harry nodded and did as his Professor told him to. He slightly grimaced at the taste and then handed the vial back to Severus.

While Harry was drinking the stomach soother Severus had quietly called a house elf to get a cup of vegetable soup for Harry. As soon as Severus had accepted the empty vial from Harry the House Elf popped back in and handed Severus the mug of soup.

Wrapping a napkin that was on the table around the mug so that it would not be too hot for the boy to hold he then handed it to the child.

"Slow sips Harry, there are chunks of vegetables in it."

Harry nodded and remembered to take breaths between sips. It was hard to pace himself, but he was trying. He really was.

When Harry set down the less the half-empty mug of soup on the table Severus looked at the boy concerned.

"Are you not hungry Harry?"

Slowly Harry shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"That's ok, you did have a lot of vegetables. Do you want to want to work more on your homework or would you like to do something else?"

"Can...can we go for a walk?"

"I think that can be arranged. Maybe we will even run into your friends."

Harry nodded looking enthusiastic. Severus then got up and summoned two warm looking jackets. "It's getting cold out there. I don't want you getting a chill."

Harry nodded and took the jacket from Severus. Slowly he put the jacket on and zipped up the front. Severus did the same and then put an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"How about out by the lake?"

Harry nodded and Severus sent a silent patronus to Minerva asking her the send his two friends down by the lake. It would be a good place for the three to talk and Severus could be by, but yet be discreet.

"Come on then." The two then exited Severus's chambers.


	5. Nightmares

Thank you for all the reviews! I'll try to continue this for as long as I can and I'm really trying to take this story slowly. I think my stories in the past have moved a little too fast and I'm trying to work on that.

Jordina I tried to answer your question in this chapter, but more than likely it will be better answered when they head to the clinic.

Nightshade's sydneylover150 next chapter will have the clothes shopping and you'll see where they go. :)

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><p>Right outside Severus's rooms though Severus remembered Harry's injured ankle. With that in mind Severus summoned up a pair or crutches and laid a calming hand on the boy's shoulder. Harry turned to look at the man with a hint of confusion on his face when he saw the crutches.<p>

When Severus saw the confusion in the boys eyes he tried to explain the best he could. "Just to keep pressure off your ankle. Don healed you, but I don't want to take any chances."

Harry nodded and accepted the crutches. When Harry put them under his armpits and tried to walk though Severus stopped him again with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Have you ever walked with crutches before?"

Harry shook his head and looked down a bit clearly embarrassed. Tenderly Severus placed two finders under Harry chin and lifted it up so that they met eyes.

"There is no need to be ashamed for not knowing how to do something. When you need help all you need to do is ask."

As Harry nodded Severus came behind the boy and showed him hand over hand how to use the crutches so that the would not end up with sore armpits later. When the child managed, a few steps on his own Severus let a small smile grace his face.

"Very good Harry!"

Shyly the child looked up at his Professor and returned the smile. Severus then placed a soft hand on the boy's back and gently guided him out of the dungeons and onto the grounds very careful to avoid any students who happened to be wandering around.

When they arrived outside Harry was slightly panting and sweating a bit. Concerned Severus looked down at the child.

"Tired Harry?"

Harry gave a small shrug of his shoulders. "I guess a little."

Nodding at the boy Severus let out a small sigh. "There is a small bench by the black lake do you think you can make it down? I think I see a couple of people waiting for you."

Harry looked down to the lake and let a smile grace his face when he saw Hermione, Ron, and the twins. Then, looking up at the Professor he mumbled something that was even too quiet for Severus to hear.

"What did you say Harry?"

"Can...can you help me?"

Severus gave a small smile while he picked up the boy with one hand and grabbed the crutches with the other. "It would be my pleasure Harry."

Harry held on tight to Severus's robes while he was carried down to his friends. Severus knew this might ruin his reputation, but he knew with the twins already knowing what they did that was already gone with them, and he figured that if he had guardianship over Harry it would eventually be ruined with the other two as well. Might as well get it over with. As long as the four did not go blabbing around the school that he actually had a heart he could deal with them seeing who he truly was.

Before the two could reach the four by the lake though, Severus stopped for a moment and looked down at the boy in his arms.

"Would you like me to have a word with them before seeing to you so they don't ask too many questions?"

Harry shook his head. "I...I think I'll be ok."

Severus nodded his head glad that the boy was taking some kind of independence. Harry had been clingy over the past day and he was slightly worries. Was it normal for a twelve year old to attach himself like he had? He would have to have a word with Don later. "If you need me use your necklace to contact me. I'll be collecting some potion ingredients by the entrance to the Forbidden Forest."

Nodding his head Harry mumbled a quick thank you while Severus hugged the child close to his chest.

"There is no need to thank me Harry."

With that Severus continued his trek down the hill and towards the Black Lake. When he reached the four to his amusement he saw two gaping jaws and two sly smiles. Setting the child down on the bench and placing the crutches down leaning against it Severus turned to the two fly catchers.

"The poor frogs around here will starve if you catch all their fly's."

Quickly Hermione's mouth closed, but it took another second before Ron's could. Yes the twins had convinced him that his snarky Professor could help Harry, but never in a million years could he ever imagine that his Professor would be carrying him!

After their mouths did close, Severus turned to the smirking twins. "Could I have a word with you two for a moment?"

They both nodded and followed the Professor a little ways away. As soon as they reached their destination the twins looked at his teacher seriously, it was Fred who spoke though.

"Is Harry ok sir?"

Sighing Severus looked at the twins very impressed with their maturity. They were all jokes and games, but when it really mattered they were quite amazing young men. If he were honest with himself he would admit that he quite admired their demeanor.

"He will be, but he is very fragile. I wanted to ask you whether you could keep an eye on him for me when I cannot be around."

Quickly the twins both nodded, and both responded at the same time. "Anything for our brother."

Severus gave a smile, but quickly put his mask back up before the boys could see it. "If Harry ever needs me and is too upset to call for me that chain around his neck has a pendent on it, just hold it, and say Severus Snape. I will be there as soon as I can."

The twins nodded and Severus continued before he turned to go to the forbidden forest. "Oh, and twenty points to Gryffindor for loyalty to your house mate and ten points for being such mature young men."

Severus then turned his back to the two young men and with his robes billowing behind him he dramatically made his way to the forest. Holding in their laughter and glee the twins took a moment to compose themselves before heading back to where the others were.

When they arrived Harry was sitting on the bench with Hermione next to and an arm around his shoulder. Ron though was before him with an incredulous look on his face. Fred came and sat on Harry's other side, and George came and rested his arm on his little brother drawing him a bit closer to him as if seeking to comfort the boy from the shock he was obviously feeling. Quietly George whispered something in his ear, and the boy seemed to relax a bit as he nodded while leaning a bit more into his older brother.

Gently Fred placed an arm around Harry's shoulder as Hermione removed her's. "How are you doing Harry?"

Looking over at Fred he shrugged his shoulders. "Better; a lot better."

Smiling at the boy Fred nodded. "I am so glad to hear that Harry. I know you were hurting before."

"Professor Snape is now my guardian."

With that bombshell dropped Ron stood open-mouthed again and Hermione seemed to still for a few moments. The twins though just sat and stood there as if they had expected this new bit of information.

Ron then closed his mouth and opened it again as if he was to speak, but closed it again with an audible snap. Hermione though seemed to recover and was the first of the four to speak.

"How do you feel about that Harry?"

"I...I think I'm really glad. He...he's been really nice, and I think...I can trust him."

Fred and George smiled and nodded while their little brother relaxed again at what Harry had said. He had yet to speak with Harry first in too much shock to utter a word and then scared that he might explode at Harry if he tried. Now though Ron was getting himself under control again, and could not help but think that maybe this would be a good situation for Harry even if it was the snarky bad of the dungeon. Anything would be better than what he figured happened at the muggles home.

"When do you think you will be coming back to the dorms?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and told them everything that had happened that morning including the part about him and Severus going to the clinic for a few days. When he was finished, George's grip around his shoulder tightened a bit more when he pulled the boy closer to his side knowing that the boy must have really had been hurt for their Professor take him away from Hogwarts.

"I'm glad Harry that someone is looking out for you. You know that we are your friends, and you can always talk to one of us if you want to; about anything."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

The four continued their chat for a while until Severus came back from collecting different mosses and barks from various trees for his potions. It was getting close to dinner and Severus wanted to get the child back inside before it got dark. Plus he would never admit it, but he was a bit nervous about leaving Harry alone.

When he reached the boy much to his amusement, he saw Harry's eyes light up as if he were happy to see the dour man. Carefully he shrank his new ingredients and stuck them in his pocket.

"Do you think you have enough energy to walk?"

As Harry yawned he blushed to show his embarrassment. Hiding a gin Severus nodded, he then banished the crutches back to his rooms now knowing that he would not need then again while they were out. He then came over and picked Harry up into his arms.

"Say goodbye to your friend's Harry. You will see them in a few days when we come back from the clinic."

Harry nodded and said his shy goodbyes. Ron and Hermione echoed Harry, but the twins also thanked the Professor as he left. Before Severus got too far though, George remembered their potion brewing that was supposed to be tonight.

"We'll see you next week when we brew?"

Severus tuned his head and gave a small nod. Appreciating that both the twins knew what he was talking about, but the sentence was structured so that anyone else listening in could just confuse it for their regular potion lessons. Silently he gave another five points to Gryffindor for cleverness. Merlin he was getting soft! Awarding points to a Gryffindor!

He then walked up the hill with Harry in his arms and noticed when they were halfway there that Harry had buried his head into Severus chest and began to shiver slightly. Concerned he looked down at the small bundle he was carrying.

"Are you ok Harry?"

"Cold."

Carefully while he was still moving towards his rooms, he wrapped the child in the excess of his robes trying to warm the boy up. He hadn't thought it was that cold out, and the boy did have a jacket on. Did the boy have another fever or maybe Harry was weaker than he thought? Shrugging those thoughts away Severus turned all his attention to getting the boy inside and warmed up.

When they reached Severus's rooms he quickly muttered the password and let both him and the still shivering child inside. Severus then carried the boy over to the couch and set him down in front of the fire all the while wrapping him in a warm blanket and taking off his jacket.

After a few minutes of shuffling around making some hot chocolate, Severus came and sat down next to the child on the couch handing him some chocolate as he did.

"How are you now Harry? Still, cold?"

Looking down to the warm chocolate in his hands Harry took a sip and then answered. "I'm fine sir."

Severus nodded and looked a bit relieved, but he was still worried. He then placed his chocolate down and looked at the boy. "Do you mind if I feel your forehead for a moment?"

Harry shook his head and allowed the Potion Master to place his calloused hand on his forehead. In fact, Harry lent into the touch soaking up the comfort.

Slightly Severus smiled at the boy, glad that he felt no hint of fever and slightly amused at the boy's antics. He then removed his hand and again picked up his chocolate.

"Drink up Harry, it will help you warm up."

Harry did as Severus bid and started to drink down the warm liquid. This time he was very careful to try to follow Don and Severus's instructions to drink slowly, it seemed to be getting easier every time he ate.

When Harry placed the more than half-empty mug down on the table Severus nodded in approval. He then scooped Harry up and deposited him on his lap.

"You did very well Harry not sipping too fast. How does your stomach feel?"

Leaning back into Severus Harry gave a small nod. "It's all right."

"That's good to head Harry. That chocolate had a lot of milk in it so you should be ok to eat some dinner. How does that sound? Do you want to try something more solid than soup?"

"If it's not too rich, please."

"I think we can do that. How about some mashed potatoes, green beans, and a touch of plain baked chicken?"

Harry nodded. "That sounds wonderful."

Hearing that in the next moment Severus summoned a house elf and special ordered their meals. Then, giving the boy one last squeeze he deposited him on feet in front of him.

"Are you warm enough to take the blanket off?"

Harry nodded and started to unwrap himself. Severus helped and they eventually had the child untangled. Then, standing up himself Severus placed the now folded blanket on the couch and led the boy over to the table. A moment later their dinner appeared on the table, and they both sat down to eat.

It was slow going for both of them. Harry was making sure to chew at least five times before he swallowed each bite and Severus still had little appetite so he barely picked at his meal. When the two decided that they were finished Severus banished their plates away and pulled Harry's chair so that they were now facing each other.

"There are still some things we need to discuss Harry; about me being your guardian."

Slowly Harry nodded somewhat knowing where the discussion was going, or so he thought.

"I promise I will not be like your relatives in any way, but I will still have rules you need to follow and have consequences."

Slowly Harry let out a sigh thinking in the back of his mind that he had known that once his Professor had spent some time with him he would really figure out what a freak he was. He was twelve after all and just learned how to tie a shoe, something even a four-year old could do.

Severus saw the look that crossed Harry's eyes as soon as he had mentioned rules and let out a sigh of his own. He had put this conversation out-of-the-way long enough and he was regretting bringing up even now, but they had to talk about this. He wanted to lay everything out on the table so to speak so he did not surprise of frighten the child in the future. So with another deep breath Severus tried to continue with his train of thought.

"I have only three rules for you to follow while you are here."

That caught Harry's attention and he looked up from his lap curiously. His relatives had about a hundred times that many.

"The first rule is that you must never lie to me. I cannot help you if you are not truthful to me. The second rule is you must keep your room neat. A few messes now and then are fine, but I require that you at least make your bed every day. Lastly, I ask that you not put yourself in any danger nor cause any harm to someone else."

Harry nodded; those rules were fair. A first in his short life. He was used to difficult rules that were almost impossible to follow and horrible consequences that would occur when he could not follow them. He could not help, but wonder what his Professor's punishments would be though. Would they be just as bad as his relatives? He had said though that he would not beat him though...

"As for the consequences to those actions. I will set out lines for you, have cauldrons for you to scrub and when we are at home maybe some garden work for you to accomplish. The last rule though is a bit different. I feel that if you were to purposely put yourself in harm's way, or someone else in danger it should have a more serious result. Therefore, you would receive a spanking. Now, it would be nothing like what your relatives did; not at all. You would lie across my lap, and it would only be my hand against your bum."

Severus expected one of two things to happen then. Either Harry would become upset at him and throw a fit, or he would cower in fear and start crying. He really hated throwing the spanking in there, but after last year with Harry's stunt with the Sorceress Stone he wanted to nip Harry's dangerous streak in the bud. What Severus had expected to happen with Harry and how the boy did react though were two different stories entirely.

Harry just sat they're nodding his head. "I understand."

Severus was almost floored. "You do Harry? Can you tell me how you feel right now?"

Shrugging his shoulders slightly Harry looked down to his lap again. "I guess a bit nervous, but Aunt Petunia spanked Dudley sometimes, and she would never hurt him. She loved him too much."

Severus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment reacting from the silently spoken words the boy had said. "She loved him too much, but not me." He then reached over and gently picked the child up under his armpits and deposited him on him sideways on his lap hugging the child close to his chest.

"Trust me when I say this Harry. _I _care too much about you to ever hurt you. A spanking might sting your bum a bit, but it will fade away the next day; I will never cause bruises or welts to appear. That is a promise."

Harry nodded against Severus's chest. His mind still reeling with different emotions he could not put a name too. He was still nervous about his Potion Master spanking him, but strangely he felt a warm feeling in his chest. He guessed it was because Aunt Petunia always said that she spanked Dudley because she cared for him, and now someone was essentially saying that to him...that he cared about a freak?

With a small sigh Harry pushed those thoughts away for another time. He had no intention of putting his life or someone else's in danger so he didn't really feel the need to worry over it too much. He would deal with all these feelings when and if the time ever came.

Harry then buried his face in Severus's robes soaking up all the comfort he could while listening to his Potions Professor's heart. Again, Harry could not understand why hearing the Professor's heart beat could be so comforting, but instead of questioning it too much he just accepted it and soaked in the comfort.

Silently Severus sighed as Harry cuddled up against him. For the last few minutes while Harry had been thinking he had been lightly scanning the boy's mind looking for any signed of fear or panic, but he had only found a boy who refused to really think about what he had been told. In one way he was slightly relieved that the child did not seem to be dwelling on the unpleasant, but it also scared him a bit. If Harry was truly going to heal, he was going to _have_ to think of the more unpleasant things, and it would not help if he just pushed away the thoughts as he did this. Again Severus sighed again as he added one more thing to his list of things to talk to Don about.

Deciding that he would push the child no further he gently brushed the hair away from the side of Harry's face and tilted the boy's chin up so that they were meeting eyes. "Do you want to go get ready for bed now? It is still a bit early, but I think some extra rest would do you some good."

Harry nodded and started to get off Severus's lap. Severus let the boy get up, but before he could leave for the bathroom he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. Silently he cast a waterproof charm on Harry's cast and then gave the child a warm smile.

"If you need any help at all let me know."

As Harry nodded Severus removed his hand and then watched the child leave the kitchen and head for the bathroom. After the boy entered the bathroom, Severus remembered Harry had nothing to change in to again, something they were going to have to remedy soon, and went to his bedroom to fetch a pair of his own pajamas.

Shrinking the clothing to Harry's size he went back to the bathroom and knocked on the door hearing the shower running. When he received no reply Severus called that he just had some clothing for him to change into. He then heard a very quiet come in muffled from the sounds of the shower.

Slowly Severus opened the door and sighed in relief when he saw the shadow figure behind the curtain. He really didn't want a repeat of what had happened last night when the boy had fallen over. He then made his way to the sink and placed the clothing and a clean towel down.

"I put a towel and some pajamas for you on the sink Harry. Take as long as you want I know how good a hot shower feels after a long day."

"Yes sir."

With that Severus left the room and closed the door behind him. He then went and fished out a potion journal that he had yet to read from his bookshelf and sat himself down in his chair in the living room. Ten minutes later he heard the bathroom door close again and looked up to find a wet haired boy. Silently he got out his chair and came over to the boy extending his hand for the child to take.

As soon as the child clasped his hand Severus let a small smile grace his face. "Let's get you to bed then, shall we?"

Harry gave a shy nod and walked with his teacher to the room he had slept in the night before. When they arrived at the room Severus helped the boy up onto the bed while he silently reminded himself to make it a bit shorted to make it easier for the child. Then, tucking the child in bed Severus told him if he needed anything to come and get him or use the pendent to fetch him.

While Harry yawned he gave a small nod. The boy then closed his eyes, and it was mere moments before he was sleeping soundly. Seeing the sleeping boy Severus smiled again.

"Sleep well child."

He then left the room closing to door behind him and went back to the living room to relax a little before he went to bed himself.

Just a half hour later though, Severus heard screaming coming from Harry's room. Sighing slightly he jumped out of his chair rushing to Harry's room leaving his journal forgotten.

Opening the door he saw Harry tangled in his sheets screaming for his life. Taking a deep breath to calm himself he strode over to the boy and quickly detangled him from his sheets. Then, sitting down on the edge of the bed Severus pulled the boy into his lap. Gently he cradled the boy against his chest rocking him and rubbing soothing circles on his back while mumbling soft words of comfort.

Slowly Harry's screams quieted and turned into deep sobs as Harry opened his eyes. While Harry buried his head into Severus's chest, the man ignored the wet spot he now felt on his lap focusing souly on calming the child down.

"Shhhh It's ok Harry; you're safe at Hogwarts. No one here will hurt you. I've got you."

Severus continued to speak soft words of comfort until Harry's crying slowed into small whimpers. As soon as Severus felt Harry start to calm he shifted him slightly so that he head was now resting on his shoulder. Calmly he looked down at the still distraught boy.

"Do you want to talk about it Harry?"

Blushing the boy looked down at his lap realizing that he wet himself. He then tried as hard as he could wiggle himself away from the man not wanting to soil the man with his filth. Severus's arms though just encircled Harry tighter to his chest.

"It's ok Harry, just relax. There is no need to move."

Harry relaxed from his struggles and slumped against the Professor's chest more out of pure exhaustion then agreeing with the man. Quietly he buried his face into the man's robes and started to sob. "I'm...I'm sorry...I'm...so...so...disgusting..."

Stroking the child's hair back Severus sighed. "No Harry, you are not disgusting. You had a perfectly natural reaction to a frightening dream."

Harry continued to cry for a few more minutes and then Severus gently cupped the boy's cheek and tilted his face up so that they could see each other.

"Can you tell me about you're dream? It will make you feel better."

Slowly Harry nodded, but clutched tightly to the man as if he were trying to stay grounded while he talked.

"I...I was...c...cooking breakfast...a...and I burned the bacon. Aunt Petunia...she...she was really mad. She...she yelled at me...a...and then...and then...she forced my hand onto the stove...it burned...so bad..."

Hugging the child close to his chest Severus closed his eyes. He then gently pried Harry's right hand from his robes and opened it so that he could see the palm. Sure enough there were burn marks that looked to be made from a muggle stove. Looking at the hand for another moment he then set it free and gently stroked the tears from Harry's face.

"What she did was wrong Harry; she had no right to hurt you. I might not have been able to stop her then, but I promise you she will never lay a hand on you again."

Harry slowly nodded and clutched a little tighter to his Professor. Gently Severus continued to stroke Harry's hair for a few more minutes.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up, hmm?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus got off the bed with the boy still in his arms. Carefully he carried the child to the bathroom and when he got there he set him down on the toilet. He then knelt down in front of the child and patted his knee.

"I'm going to go grab some fresh clothes; I'll be right back. Ok?"

Still looking down at his lap Harry nodded. So patting Harry on the knee again Severus stood up and started to draw a bath.

"I'll be right back Harry."

With that Severus left the room and came back a few moments later with a new set of shrunken pajamas, at this rate he was going to run out by the end of the week. He then set the clothes on the sink and came over to turn the water off for it was the proper height.

With a reassuring smile Severus came over and knelt before the boy again.

"I know you're sleepy Harry, so I shall help you. Ok?"

Harry gave a small nod, he was tired and he wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep in the tub. With that nod Severus set to work by gently unbuttoning Harry's pajama shirt and pulling it up over his head. Then, he Severus stood up, and placed the boy on his feet quickly pulling the boy's pants and shorts down to his ankles.

"Let's get you in the tub, hmmm?"

With that Severus lifted the boy up and deposited him in the tub. As soon as Harry felt that warm water on his skin he insistently relaxed. He really did love soaking in warm water whether it was in the form of a shower or bath.

While Harry soaked in the tub Severus left to change his own clothes that had become wet as well with Harry's accident. Quickly Severus changed into his own pajamas and went back to the bathroom. He didn't want to leave Harry for too long in case he fell asleep in the water.

Coming back into the bathroom Severus let a small smile escape his lips as he saw Harry lying in the bath with his eyes closed. He then grabbed up the warm and fluffy towel from the sink and came over to the side of the tub.

"Are you ready to come out and try to get some more sleep?"

Harry nodded with his eyes still closed. "Sleepy."

"I know child, let's get you back to bed."

With that Severus put the towel down for a moment and helped Harry stand up in the tub catching him as he slipped slightly. He then picked the towel back up and wrapped it firmly around the boy who had reluctantly reopened his eyes. Another yawn escaped Harry mouth and Severus gave the boy a small smile.

"Do you need some help dressing, or do you think you're awake enough for that."

Harry let out another yawn and shrugged his shoulders.

"A little help then?"

Harry nodded and Severus helped the child step out of the tub. The man then patted the child dry and dressed him in his new pajamas. When he deemed Harry clean and properly dressed Severus picked him up and carried him to his bedroom.

Before setting the boy on the bed, he banished the soiled sheets and replaced them with another set with just the flick of the wand. He then pulled down the sheets and tucked Harry under the covers snuggly for the second time that night. Brushing the boy's hair back from his forehead Severus then gently took the glasses from the boy's face again and placed them on the nightstand.

As Harry closed his eyes he felt a small breeze of cold air and then a light pressure on his forehead where Severus gently kissed him.

"Have pleasant dreams my child."

That was the last thing Harry heard before he was off into the land of nod.

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><p>That night seemed more eventful for Severus than he had ever thought was possible. Harry had two more nightmares after the first one, but none so bad that the poor boy wet his bed again. Thank goodness. By the last one though, Severus was exhausted and had given up sleeping in his own bed. He had just curled up on Harry's bed holding the child close to him as the boy clutched to his pajamas as if I his life depended on it.<p>

It was Don who found the two the next morning curled up together on the boy's bed and could not help, but smile at the sight. The man stood in the doorway for a long moment before conjuring a magical camera and taking a picture. It was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

He then placed the camera down on the desk by the door and proceeded to the bed sitting in the chair next to it. Gently he rested a hand on Severus's shoulder and was met with two sleepy eyes looking up at him.

"Rough night?"

Severus was normally an early riser waking up around eight instead of the now ten in the morning. That was why Don had come to check on his boys for he had expected Severus to contact him by now to go on their little shopping trip. It was always good to bring an extra person with them shopping especially when you have a child who might become afraid at any turn.

Careful of the child still in his arms Severus gave a small nod to the man. He then gently extracted himself from the boy and sat on the edge of the bed. As soon as Harry had felt the loss of the warm body though, he started to whine a little in his sleep and reach out to try to reclaim what was lost. With a small sigh Severus took hold of both they boy's hands with his own and gave a small smile when the child relaxed considerably.

Moving both the boy's hands into just one of his own Severus then reached up and fondly cupped the boy's cheek. Turning to Don he gave the man a sad look.

In a low voice Severus, then warned the Healer what he had seen last night. "You need to check both his hands for damaged nerves. His Aunt thought it a fitted punishment to burn them on the stove for extended periods of time."

Don slowly extended his head to show that he had acknowledged Severus's words. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Severus then explained everything that had happened yesterday and his concerns about Harry brushing off things a little too quickly for him to process them.

Don just nodded and added that to his list as well of things he needed to discuss with the small boy. "How many nightmares did he have last night?"

"Three too many. Also is it normal for Harry to be so clingy?"

Don sighed and shook his head at how many nightmares the boy had last night. He indeed had a lot of work ahead of him. He looked up though when Severus asked his question and gave the man a small smile. "Look at it this way Severus. You are likely the first person to ever show that you care about the boy. You were just two years older when Albus took you into his home and I remember you doing the same thing at first. What were you feeling?"

Severus blushed a bit and look down at the still sleeping child. "I just wanted to make sure that he would not disappear; that I was not dreaming."

Nodding Don gave Severus a soft smile. "Don't worry Severus he will get better. It's ten in the morning though Severus; we really should get going if you want to be home tonight."

Sighing slightly Severus nodded and then gently rested his hand on the boy's shoulder shaking it slightly.

"It's time to wake up Harry."

That was all it took for two sleepy eyes to open up and look at the man who just woke him. Severus gave the boy a slight smile and then patted the boy gently on the shoulder.

"Good morning."

After giving a small yawn, Harry gave a small smile of his own. "Good morning sir."

"It's ten in the morning sleepy head. How do you feel about some breakfast?"

Harry nodded and moved to sit up on the bed. The two adults let him sit up and then next thing Severus knew he had a child hugging his side.

"What's wrong child?"

"Nervous."

"About going to the clinic today?"

Slowly Harry's head moved up and down against Severus's side.

"Don't worry Harry, I'll be with you the entire time."

Again Harry nodded. "Thank you"

"No need to thank me Harry. Now why don't I grab something to change into then, we can have something to eat before we go shopping. Sound ok?"

Unclutching his Professor's side Harry nodded again.

"I'll be right back, ok Harry?"

With another nod from Harry Severus got off the bed and made way for his bedroom for a set of robes for the child.

While Severus was out of the room Don came and sat next to the boy on the bed. Gently he placed the boy's glass on his face and placed an arm around the boy giving him a side long hug.

"How are you doing Harry? Severus said you had some nightmares last night."

Shrugging his shoulders Harry looked down ashamed. Gently Don placed a hand underneath Harry's chin and lifted it so that he could look into his eyes.

"Don't be ashamed Harry. You can tell me anything, and I won't judge you."

Slowly Harry nodded and leaned into Don accepting the comfort that he was being given. Moments later Severus came back into the room dressed and carrying new clothing for the boy.

Gently Don freed himself for the boy's grip and accepted the clothing from Severus. He then placed the clothing on Harry's lap and gave the child a smile when he looked up at him.

Patting him on the knee Don got off the bed. "We'll give you a bit of privacy to change. When your finished meet us in the kitchen, ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and the two men left the room closing the door quietly behind them. Coming into the kitchen Don called a house elf and ordered breakfast for the three of them. He then sat down at the table with Severus across from him. Gently he laid a hand on Severus and smiled at the man when he looked up at him.

"We'll work on his nightmares today as well, and maybe you can get a nap in as well."

Severus nodded and the food popped onto the table. The next moment a small boy appeared in the doorway in his fresh clothes. Shyly he scuffed his shoe on the floor and looked down.

Severus shot a small smile at Don and then looked over at Harry. "Come on in Harry and have a seat."

Slowly Harry looked up from his feet and gave the two a small smile. He then came and sat in the empty chair looking greedily at the food in front of him.

"Go ahead Harry, but remember to pace yourself and drink your milk first."

Harry nodded and picked up his glass of milk. First he finished half the glass and then he picked up his scrambled eggs and small bowl of fruit looked wonderful to the boy. When he placed the first bite of eggs in his mouth, he closed his eyes and savored the taste. Although he had been eating regular meals all yesterday, this was the first time he really tasted how wonderful it was and really realized how much he loved eggs.

Severus smiled at Harry's reaction to the food in front of him. He thought the boy might enjoy this breakfast and that is why he had asked Don to order it for him. With that thought Severus grabbed his own fork and started to eat.

The meal continued without incident, Harry really focusing on taking his time on his food and Severus being silently coached into eating more food by Don. When the three were done with their meals Severus silently banished the dishes and placed a hand on Harry's arm.

"Ready to go for an adventure?"

Harry slowly nodded, but looked down at his lap.

"Don't be nervous Harry, Don, and I will be there with you the whole time."

Harry seemed to relax a bit as he looked up at Severus who gave him a small smile.

"I'm going to put a glamor on you though, so that no one will recognize you."

Harry nodded. "I...think it would make me feel better."

Severus nodded. "That's what I thought as well. Now, it will only take a few seconds."

Severus waved his wand over the child and slightly altered Harry's appearance, making Harry's hair slightly longer and lighter and the features on his face a bit more elongated.

When he was done, Harry gave a small smile at Severus.

"Are you ok with going by Harold while we are out?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus summoned the jacket that Harry had worn the day before. Tucking it slightly around the boy Severus then summoned his own and put it on.

"Ready to go Harry, or would you like to use the restroom before we go?"

Blushing Harry nodded. "I'm fine, sir."

Smiling Severus nodded getting off his chair and offered a hand to the child to help him up. Taking the Hand Harry got up and followed both Severus and Don to the floo. Before they flooed to Hogsmead though, Don stopped Severus and handed a potion to Harry.

"A stomach soother so you won't get an upset stomach when you floo."

Harry nodded and drank the potion down in one gulp. Then, handing the vial back to Don he took hold of Severus's hand again and nodded when Severus made sure he was ok.

The three then flooed away to Hogsmead to get some new things for Harry.


	6. Small Comforts

Thanks for all the reviews!

Alice - don't worry you'll see where I'm going with that.  
>Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Thank you for the heads up. My grammar checker likes to mess with me sometimes. Haha<br>Zireael07 - I honestly don't know what to say. I mean a lot of stories on here have similar themes or similar things happen. I guess it's coincidence.

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><p>Arriving through the floo Harry found himself stumbling forward, but before he could fall he felt two strong hands holding him upright. Looking up to smile at Severus who had stopped his fall he blushed a little when he saw the concern on Severus's face.<p>

"You ok there Harold?"

Harry nodded. "Thank you sir."

"No problem Harold, let's get going hmm?"

Again, Harry nodded as Severus removed his hands from his shoulders. He then looked around and found that they were now standing in Hogs Head Pub. Relaxing slightly when he realized where he was he fell in step behind Severus and next to Don as they left the pub to run their errands.

As soon as they stepped outside though Harry froze getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of people going in every direction. He was so caught up that when he felt Don place a calming hand on his shoulder he jumped and flinched slightly because he had not expected the touch.

"It's just me Harold."

Harry slightly relaxed when he saw it was Don, and the Healer started to send a bit of calming magic into the boy to calm him further. As Don took care of Harry Severus looked back and gave a small nod to Don thanking him.

As soon as Harry was calm enough the three made their way down the street towards Gladrags Wizardwear. Before they got there though, Severus felt a small tap on his arm. Turning he found a worried looking boy shuffling his feet nervously. Sighing slightly Severus knelt down before the child so that he could hear him better in the crowded street.

"What is it Harold?"

"I don't have any money. Can we go to Gringotts first?"

Severus gave the boy a small reassuring smile. "No we aren't, because I am paying today. I am now your guardian and am responsible for your needs, and I _want _to buy you some nice things."

"Are...are you sure?"

Patting the child on his shoulder Severus got up off the ground. "I'm positive."

When Severus saw the child relax into Don's hand that still rested on his shoulder he turned and again led the other two to the clothing store. Arriving at the store they were immediately bombarded with an over enthusiastic store clerk.

"Can I help you three?"

Pinching his nose in annoyance at the woman's high-pitched squeaky voice Severus reluctantly nodded. "Harold here needs a whole new wardrobe. What he has now is inadequate."

The woman nodded and extended a hand for the boy to take. Harry though did not take the hand and instead hid behind Severus clutching to the man's robes. Reaching behind him Severus gently rubbed the boy's back and pushed him forward slightly.

"It's ok Harold she just wants to get your measurements and help you find some clothes that will fit."

Harry gave a small nod, but still clung to Severus as if his life depended on it. He really didn't want to be alone with a stranger. When he saw that Harry wouldn't move forward anymore on his own Severus sighed and looked at the woman who he noticed was becoming impatient.

"Ma'am, would it be ok if I went with him?"

The store clerk gave the boy a somewhat exasperated look and then looked back up at Severus. "Sure, but he will need to stand on his own when I measure him."

Severus gave a small nod and the two followed the woman while Don sat in a chair by the door. His boys should be fine without him they didn't really need him hovering over their every move.

Leading Severus and Harry towards the pedestal where Harry would have to stand to have his measurements done the store clerk grabbed a clipboard as they passed a desk. When they reached their destination Severus helped the boy up onto the pedestal so that he was now standing a head taller than Severus.

Smiling gently Severus looked at the boy with his hands on his hips. "My look how you grew! You're taller than me!"

Harry just gave Severus a grin. One that made Severus's heart flutter and melt simultaneously. It was Lily's smile; Lily's beautiful smile. Taking a deep breath to help him reign in his emotions Severus patted the boy on the arm. He then moved away a step and let the woman do her work. When she was done, she looked at Severus.

"What color's would you like his shirts and trousers to be?"

Raising an eyebrow Severus just looked at the woman for a moment. "They are not for me they are for the boy. Why don't you ask him what he would like?"

Turning around to face the boy the lady asked Harry what colors he wold like. Hearing the small voice the clerk took out her clipboard and quickly jotted down everything he said. She then turned back to Severus still writing done some notes.

"So just to make sure what you mean by a full wardrobe you want ten shirts, ten jumpers, ten pairs of trousers, ten pairs of socks, a cloak and shoes?"

Severus nodded. "Add a pair of mittens, a hat, winter boots, five sets of pajamas, and three sets of school robes. Also please throw in four sets of pajamas for me, my size and preferences are on file."

Writing everything Severus said down the clerk nodded. With her head still down all the items that had been mentioned in the right size started to float out of the backroom and into bags by the front register. Then, pointing with the end of her quill to the register she mumbled that everything was ready and that they could check out if that was all they wanted.

Again, Severus nodded and helped the boy down from where he was standing.

"Let's go get your clothes ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and followed the man up to the register. When they got there though Harry pulled a bit on Severus's arm to get his attention. The man turned to look at the child and gave him a reassuring look.

"Yes Harold?"

"I...I can pay you back."

Sighing slightly Severus knelt before the boy again and laced a hand on his shoulder. Looking right into Harry's eyes Severus saw that he was going to have to repeat this more then just this one time. "There is no need Harry. I _want _to buy you nice things; you deserve them."

Harry looked down clearly embarrassed with what Severus had told him so Severus just patted the boy on the shoulder and got off the floor not wanting to push the matter any further given the boy's reaction. Turning back to the man behind the register Severus asked what everything cost.

"Thirty galleons, five sickles, and three knuts."

Severus handed over the money and then took hold of the bags, shrinking them and then placed them in his pockets. He the took Harry's hand he gave the boy a small smile.

"Let's go before Don falls asleep waiting for us, hmmm?"

Harry nodded and gave a small smile. With that the two made their way over to where Don was sitting. Smiling at the two Don got out his chair.

"You two ready?"

They both nodded, but Severus leaned over and whispered something in Don's ear. Don smiled and gave a small nod. The three then made it out of the store and back out onto the street. Quickly Severus led the other two through the crowds, but not back to the pub where Harry had thought they were heading. Instead, they were nearing Roz's Toy Shop.

Standing in front of the store Severus looked down at the boy and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"I want you to pick out three toys that you would enjoy. Don't worry about the price, ok?"

"Are...are you sure?"

"As ever. Now let's go in."

Severus then led the child inside with Don following close behind. Once inside Harry's eyes grew wide and looked around in awe. Removing his hand from Harry's Severus gently pushed the child further into the store. Harry had never been in a toy store before. When he had gone out with his relatives, he was always made to stand outside while Dudley got to pick out his presents. They always said Harry spoiled everything he touched, and they didn't want to have to pay for anything he touched or broke.

"Go pick some things out Harold."

Slowly Harry nodded and walked forward awe still written throughout his face. For a few minutes Harry just walked around the store, but occasionally he stopped and looked at something for a few moments. Severus watched Harry as he stopped at various points and made notes for what to get him at Christmas. It was never too early to be prepared for that. He had a feeling that the boy had never really had a proper Christmas, and he wanted to make this next holiday the best he could.

After fifteen minutes, Harry came back to Severus with one small plushy in his hands. It was a small all black kneazle with a small white spot of it's chest, and it looked very soft to touch.

Looking at the boy with a hit of concern Severus watched as Harry nervously shuffled his feet. "Is that all you want Harold?"

Harry gave a small nod and hugged the small kneazle to his chest. Giving a small smile Severus led the child over to the register. He figured they could make another trip another time to get the child more things, right now he was just glad that the child had found something that he really loved.

Paying for the small plushy Severus then took hold of the boy's hand and led him out of the store with Don behind them. Quickly they made their way back to the Hogs Head pub and flooed back to Severus's rooms.

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><p>After putting the clothing away, grabbing two sets of pajamas and having a quick lunch since it was noon the three flooed to Don's clinic.<p>

As soon as they got there Harry hid behind Severus with his plushy clutched close to his chest. Gently Severus kept an arm around the nervous boy while Don went to the receptionist's desk to retrieve the number of an adjoined room he had reserved. When he retrieved the room number from the receptionist Don turned and gave Severus a quick nod. Returning the nod Severus then followed Don out of the lobby and to their new room.

When they reached the room Severus saw that there were two beds side by side and a night table in between. Walking to the furthest bed by the window Severus turned to the child who was still hiding behind him and clutching his robes.

Smiling gently at the boy Severus knelt down and gave the child a quick hug. "You ok there Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus stood up placing a calming hand on his shoulder. Unshrinking some of Harry's new pajamas that he had stuck in his pocket he handed them to the child.

"Why don't you get into these and then hop in bed. Ok? If you need anything we will be right out here."

Another nod came from the child and Severus pulled the privacy curtain around the bed to protect the child's modesty. He then walked over to the other bed and removed a set of his own pajamas, and a spare he had packed for Harry just in case. He had opted to bring their own clothes to the clinic instead of wearing those awful hospital gowns. He felt that it would be better for both of them not to have to worry about having their bottoms exposed to the world. He remembered the first time he had come here and how awful that was, he always felt so...exposed.

Pulling the curtains around his bed to change Severus sat down on the bed for a moment and let out a breath he ha dent realized he was holding. He hated coming to the clinic. If Harry had not needed to come Severus would have fought tooth and nail against both the Headmaster and Don. Accepting his fate he stood back up Severus started to take of his shoes and getting into his night clothes.

When he was finished he pulled back the curtain around his bed and gave a small smile when he saw Harry on the bed next to him tucked under the covers, hugging his new plushy. Before sitting back down on his bed and getting his own covers Severus picked up the boy's pajamas that he had sat on the bed and placed them on the bedside table.

He was really glad that they had made that impromptu visit to the toy store today. Harry really had needed a friend that he could hug at all times. The man also figured it might help with Harry clinging to him. If the child had something else to hug then maybe he would not cling to Severus as he did. Not that the man did not enjoy hugging the boy, not that he would ever tell anyone, it was just that he felt that was an action of a much younger child. Although, Don had said that it was normal and he had done such much the same when Albus had taken him in. Slightly frustrated with his thoughts Severus sighed and slightly shrugged his shoulders not really knowing what to think anymore.

Sometime while Severus was deep in thought Don had come back into the room and had drawn up a char to sit between the two beds. He had first looked at Severus who was deep and thought and smiled a little. The poor man always seems to run around in circles in his mind; he knew he would have to talk to him later about what was on his mind. He then looked over at the child who was looking at him intently and gave a gentle smile.

"Are you ready?"

Very hesitantly Harry nodded.

"Do you want me to pull the curtain to give you some privacy? I could perform a diagnostic charm as Severus did, but that tends to only catch major injuries. My Healing magic is more accurate, and I have to have skin to skin contact for that."

Slowly Harry shook his head and looked nervously down at his hands. "Can...can Professor Snape hold...hold my hand?"

Smiling Don gave a little motion with his head for Severus to come over and sit on the other side of the bed. With a quick switch of his wand Severus closed the door to the hallway and then came over to sit in the chair by the window grabbing the boy's hand as he did.

"I'm right here Harry and I won't go anywhere until you say it is ok to."

Harry clutched Severus's hand with the hand that was not occupied with the soft plushy and gave a small nod. "Th...thank you."

Don stood up from his chair and moved it back a bit so he had a little room to walk around. Gently he placed a hand on the child's shoulder to gain his attention.

"I'm going to start with your head and neck. Remember how I felt your neck before?"

When Don saw the nod he continued. "It's going to be just like that. I'm going to feel for any injuries, and you're going to feel that slight tingle."

With that Don started to examine the boy's head. Feeling all around looking for bumps, signs that the boy had ever hit his head or any healed cuts. Frowning slightly Don felt the remnants of many concussions as if the boy had been thrown against something frequently.

Sighing Don removed his hands and looked at the child concerned. "This is important Harry. Do you remember ever hitting your head and passing out?"

Harry gave a small nod after thinking for a few moments. He then looked at the Healer with a confused look not really understanding where Don was going with this.

"Did it just happen the once or did it happen more than that?"

Shrugging his shoulders Harry held both his plushy and Severus's hand a little tighter. "I...I don't really remember...a...few times?"

Sighing again Don just nodded. "I'm going to have to do a deeper scan on your head Harry. I want to make sure that there was no damage to your brain."

Harry rolled over a bit so that he was facing Severus and pulled the man's hand closer to his chest. Concerned Severus took his free hand and brushed the stray hair behind Harry's ear.

"Hey now Harry; it's ok."

Harry started to shake though, and tears started to roll down his cheeks. Looking up at Don for permission and when he saw the nod Severus magically widened the bed and got on next to the child. Pulling him to his chest Severus rubbed circles on his back and whispered soothing words into his ear.

When the boy calmed down enough Severus gently pulled Harry back from his chest and looked into his eyes.

"What's wrong child?"

"It...it's going to hurt!"

"No child it won't you'll just feel the same tingling as you did before, maybe a bit stronger."

"Will...will you stay here?"

Severus first looked at Don to see whether it was ok and then he nodded. "Yes Harry, right here. Just hold on to me."

Harry did and then Don's hands rested back onto Harry's head as he began to scan deeper looking for any brain damage. The scan in whole took about ten minutes, and unfortunately Don found a small damaged area. Not from hitting his head, but it seemed that the boy had been deprived of oxygen for a period of time causing some cells to die. The good news though was that it was just a small section and it would likely cause the child minimal trouble. He would only need a little extra tutoring here and there in his schoolwork.

Don then removed his hands from the boy's head and decided to keep that bit of information to himself for the moment. The boy was already distraught enough, and he didn't want to upset him any more than he had to at the moment.

"Ok Harry I'm going to move down to your neck now. You're going to have to roll over onto your back now."

Harry did as he was told, but was now half-lying on top of Severus. In any other circumstance the scene before him would bring a smile to Don's face. At the moment though he was too worried about the child to do anything, but make sure Harry was ok.

"Very good Harry."

Don then moved his hands over Harry's throat, feeling ever inch of it hoping that he had not missed anything last time. Don happily smiled at the boy glad that he had indeed not missed anything.

As he removed his hand, he looked at the boy in the eyes. "Severus is going to have to leave the bed now. We need to take off your shirt, and I need you to lie flat on your back."

Very hesitantly Harry nodded his head in understanding and Severus very carefully extracted himself from underneath the boy returning to the chair he had sat in before. The one part of him that had never left the bed though was the hand that was still intertwined with Harry's. Not once had he let go.

As Severus removed himself from the bed Don very carefully removed a pillow from behind Harry's head so that he was lying with his back completely on the bed. Gently Don then started to unbutton Harry's shirt and pull away the fabric from the boy's chest. When he was done, he gave a reassuring smile at Harry.

"Remember Harry, this will not hurt at all, just tingle a bit."

Again, Harry nodded and let Don place his hands on his shoulders. Slowly Don examined not only the boy's bones, but his internal organs, and magical core.

Twenty minutes he was done, and he removed his hand, but not before he quickly buttoned up Harry's shirt. He then carefully pulled up the boy's sleeves so that he could examine his arms. He had not wanted to completely remove the shirt figuring that it would embarrass the boy further so although a bit cumbersome it was the best he could do.

Don was not happy with what he had found on the small boy. Most of his organs seemed to be fine except for the known stomach lining issues and his bladder being a little weak. It seemed though that one of Harry's ribs had healed the wrong way and a point was dangerously close to puncturing his lung. Really it was a miracle that it had not happened already.

Moving on to Harry's hand he felt the recent breaks he knew resided in Harry's knuckles and made a mental note to ask what had happened there. Then, feeling the rest of Harry's arm and felt more old breaks Don let out a small sigh.

The healer then pulled down the sleeve and gently stroked the back of Harry's hand that was holding Severus's. "I need you to let go of Severus for a moment Harry so I can see your hand."

Reluctantly Harry's grip loosened and with a few more gentle prying let go. As soon as the Healer saw the hand and the many scars on it Don closed his eyes for a moment. He then pulled his magic forth and started to see whether the old wounds had done any lasting damage.

It seemed that the burns were extensive and had happened not just once, but many times over the years. As such, the nerves were damaged and Don was really amazed that the boy had any feeling at all and could hold a quill. One could do quite amazing things when they pushed themselves though, and he knew that Harry especially tried as hard as he could to be normal.

Placing the hand back down on the bed Don did a small smile when he saw Harry immediately slip his hand back in Severus's. He then got to work on Harry's other arm rolling up the sleeve and examining it much as he had the other. Feeling even more old breaks and the same burn marks on the boy's hand.

With that done Don sat down in his chair heavily, but gave the boy a small smile.

"You did very well Harry. I found a few things that concern me though. Do you remember when you hurt your chest a few months ago?"

Harry gave a shy nod and looked at the Healer intently.

"Well, it seems that when your bone healed it was not properly aligned and a part of it is very close to your lung. I can heal it very easily, but it is going to hurt a bit."

"Do...do you have to heal it?"

Giving the boy a sad smile Don gave a nod. "I do Harry. If I don't there is a chance it will puncture your lung and then it will be very hard for you to breathe."

Harry gave another small nod and Don continued as gentle as he could. Tenderly taking Harry's hand that was wrapped around his plushy he held it much like Severus was doing.

"Your hands. Severus told me how they were burned. Can you try to give me a small squeeze?"

Harry did as he was told and Don gave the boy a small smile to reassure him. "Could you feel that? Can you feel my hand?"

Looking down at his lap Harry let a small tear fall down his face. Gently Don released of the hand he was holding and let it curl up around the plushy again. Softly Don rested a hand on Harry's arm.

"It's ok Harry. I can fix that too. I have a cream that we can put on them that will help repair the nerves, but unfortunately it can hurt quite a bit."

Harry nervously looked up at Don. "But...but then I could hold a quill right?"

Don gave a small nod. "I would like to put you to sleep when I put the cream on and heal your rib. That way you would not feel the pain and you would not remember it."

The child seemed to visibility relax. "I...I would like that."

Don nodded and then got of his chair. "I thought so Harry. I'll go get everything then, and we can start making you better. Ok?"

Again Harry gave a small nod and watched as Don left the room. As soon as the boy could no longer see Don he turned to look at Severus. Will...will you still be here?"

Smiling at the boy Severus took his other hand and clasped it firmly around the hand he was already holding. "I haven't left you, yet Harry and I have no plans to."

Smiling at the man Harry gave a small nod. "Th...thank you."

Severus nodded accepting the thanks even though it was unnecessary. He didn't want to upset the child any further by saying it was needless. He had seen the slight glimmer of unease when he had before.

Don then came back into the room with several potions and a jar of cream. Coming over to the two Don placed everything he had brought on the bedside table except for two potion vials.

Gently he looked at the boy who looked back at him nervously. "It's ok Harry. You see these potions?"

Don held up the potions and Harry nodded. He then pointed to one and then the other. "This first one here is a pain relief potion in case you would feel anything while you are asleep. This second one here is the dreamless sleep potion I promised. I want you to first take the pain potion and then the sleeping one. Can you do that for me?"

Harry gave a small nod and accepted the first potion from Don. Hesitating a moment, but not the next Harry gulped the potion down. He then did the same with the next potion Don handed him.

Taking the last vial from the boy Don gave a small smile as Harry's eyes slowly started to droop. Gently Don came over and took another pillow out from under the boy's head lowering him so he would be more comfortable sleeping.

Then closing his eyes completely Harry's breathing evened out and his grip on Severus's hand loosened. Severus released the small hand completely and brushed his fingers though Harry's hair glad that the boy was finally relaxed.

Smiling slightly at the man Don got to work opening the jar of cream he had brought with him. "Severus could you help me?"

Severus nodded and looked at Don to see what he wanted him to do.

"Can you hold his hands so that his palms are facing straight up? I'm going to rub this cream in, but it will take a minute or so to sink in."

Severus nodded and did as the Healer said holding the boy's hands up so he could apply the cream. Carefully Don rubbed the cream on his palms and throughout the boy's fingers. They then watched as the cream disappeared into the boy's hands in just a few minutes. When the cream had fully vanished, Don took hold of both the child's hands as Severus released them and gently sent his healing magic into them helping the cream do it's work repairing the nerves.

When Don was done, he gently released Harry's hands and rested them on the boy's lap. He slightly smiled as soon as he let the hands go they snaked up the bed and held on tight to his small stuffed kneezle. The Healer then moved his hand up to Harry's chest and unbuttoned the shirt just enough so that he could heal the child's rib. He then very tenderly placed both his hands on the boy's chest and pushed his magic into the small body willing to rib to break as gently as it could so it could realign itself.

It took a while for the rib to re-break as Don was trying to make it as painless as possible for the child. A full twenty minutes passed as Don realigned the rib and made sure that no part of it came in contact with the boy's lung. He then sent even more healing magic into the child as he set to work healing the now-broken bone properly.

As soon as he finished, Don sat back in his chair for a moment taking a small break. He then looked at Severus and gave him a gentle smile. "I would like to examine his legs, and I thought it might be easier for him to be asleep. I would also like to see whether that doctor did any damage that needs to be repaired."

Severus gave a small nod and took hold of Harry's hand. As Don stood up he gently pulled the covers down to the end of the bed while casting a light warming spell over the child so he would not chill. He sighed a little as he gently pulled the boy's pajama bottoms down leaving his shorts intact. Some days he really disliked his job.

Then taking a deep breath Don began to examine the bones in the boy's legs. When he was finished, he then placed a hand on the side of each of the boy's hips. Sending a bit more magic into the boy than he would have had to if it was skin to skin contact Don checked to see whether there was any damage to the boy's bottom or elsewhere. It would have been a lot less effort if he had just rolled the child over and examined his bottom directly, but he wanted to keep the boy's modesty intact. He also didn't want the boy to relive anything the doctor had done in his dreams, and he knew that is what the touch might do to the child.

Besides, the years of broken bones in Harry's legs Don found that there were no other injuries neither old or new. Pulling up the boy's pants Don let out a small sigh in relief. It seemed that the doctor might have done something awful to the child, but he had not injured him as they had feared. He would have to talk to the boy later to find out what had really happened in that office. After all, all Harry had said to Severus was that he knew it was not a normal physical the rest they had just assumed by the way the child had been acting.

Don then pulled up Harry's pants leg where he knew the injured ankle lay. Sighing he quickly took off the cast and banished it. This ankle had caused the boy so much trouble it was unbelievable. When he saw the ankle though he smiled for it looked to be fully healed. Running a quick examination just to verify it was truly healed Don noticed with some concern that the bones had shifted again. Damn. The bones just did not want to stay where they were supposed to. Why were they being so resistant? Sighing he realized that he was going to have to take this a step further and magically bind the bones together with splits and all.

Looking up at Severus Don gave the man a small smile. "Could you go grab a nurse for me Severus?"

Knowing better to ask why Severus got out of his chair and went to go fetch a nurse for his Healer. Coming back just moments later Severus had a woman following him in the room. As the nurse came and stood next to Don Severus came and sat back in his chair closing his hand back around the boy's.

"What can I do for you Healer Patterson?"

Kindly Don looked up at the nurse. "Could you grab me some magical splints and some bandages?"

Slightly nodding the nurse left the room and then moments later coming back with what the man had asked for. Setting them down on the bed beside Harry she asked whether she could do anything else.

"No, thank you Mary. I might need you a bit later though."

As he discreetly said this, he pointed his head towards Severus, but it was not discreet enough for Severus not to see. The man in the pajamas blushed and looked down embarrassed. Smiling at the man's embarrassment Don just patted Severus's hand as the nurse left.

"No need to be embarrassed here Severus, you know that."

"Yes I know, but I can't help it."

Don grabbed the magical splints and got to work. Placing one on one side of the leg and the other on the other side. He then placed both hands over the ankle calling the splits to pull the bone straight against them. He then took the bandages and wrapped them securely around the splits and bare skin while he hardened it with a spell. Before he had left the cast a moderately loose so that the boy could move it with a bit more ease, but this time he made it secure with just a touch of breathing space.

The Healer then rolled down the pajama leg and started to pull the blankets back up to the child's chin. Patting the boy on the hand Don gently removed it from Severus's grip and tucked it securely under the blankets while giving Severus a small smile and a small motion with his head for him to go to the other bed.

Understanding the gesture Severus slowly stood up and proceeded to the other bed to sit down.

"Lie down Severus. You know the drill we've done this many times before."

Severus sighed and laid on top of the covers. Don then came over and sat next to the man.

Before Don could start talking though Severus interrupted him. "Before w start on me, can you tell me all of Harry's injuries? I...think I should know...I am his guardian."

Smiling at the man on the bed Don nodded his head in agreement. "You are right Severus, but I was going to tell you first anyway."

Looking at the man with a raised eyebrow he again smiled when the dour man blushed and then continued with his train of thought.

"I am very glad that you asked Severus though, and you should never be embarrassed about caring about someone. Now to get on with business. As I told Harry he had extensive damage to his hands and he had that rib that had almost punctured his lung."

As Don paused Severus nodded. "What you did not tell him though?"

"What I did not tell him, so not to upset him, was that I found a bit of damage to his brain. Before you panic though, it is minimal and it will only affect him a bit with his studies. Mostly just grasping at new concepts and with some tutoring when he gets stuck he should be fine."

Again, Severus gave a small nod. "You also mentioned that he has a weak bladder?"

Don gave a small nod. "This I think Harry is going to have some difficulty with. Sometimes he is going to find it difficult to hold it until her gets to the bathroom and if he has a particularly bad nightmare he might have some trouble as well."

Sighing Severus nodded. "Unfortunately both already happened."

Sadly nodded Don sighed. "I suspected. Now let's move on to you. We can discuss Harry later. I saw yesterday and this morning that you haven't been taking your appetite stimulants or nutrient potions. What happened to them? Is there a reason you haven't been taken them?"

Severus sighed and started to wring his hands nervously like the house elf had yesterday when he could find no suitable clothes for Harry.

Don sighed when he saw he was not going to get an answer. How quickly Severus's demeanor had changed as soon as the subject had turned to him. Gently he placed a hand over Severus's to stop him from wringing them nervously. When the man looked up at his Don just gave his hands a gentle squeeze and a soft smile.

"Talk to me Severus."

"I didn't have time to brew them."

Sighing Don looked intently at the man. "You know that's not a valid excuse Severus. I was going to supply them for you until you insisted on brewing them yourself. If you didn't have time why did you not contact me?"

Shrugging his shoulders and then hating himself for doing so Severus seemed to melt down into the bed. Don had started to give the man some calming magic so that he would not become upset and the Healer was glad that Severus was accepting his comfort it would do no good if the man fought him.

"You didn't want me to know, am I right Severus? You were embarrassed that you couldn't do what you said you could."

Severus gave a small nod and continued to stare at his lap. Sighing Don sent a bit more calming magic into Severus and then helped him lie down flat by removing the a pillow from behind him.

"You know Severus you never have to be embarrassed around me. Now, I'll get you set up on mouthy deliveries of potions again that will have to go through Albus. I agreed to allow you to handle this on your own, but I think Albus will have to start helping you like before."

"But...but..."

"We both allowed you to try to take care of yourself on your own, but it seems that it was a bit too soon for that and that's ok. This is not your fault Severus nor should you feel ashamed. We all need some help with some things, and this is where you need help. Now relax and let me see the damage."

Severus lied down completely and closed his eyes tight while Don unbuttoned his pajama top. Seeing his patient's reaction Don stopped for a moment and rested a hand on Severus's chest and started sending more calming magic into him.

"Relax Severus; just relax."

As the magic flowed through Severus he seemed to immediately relax. His whole body slacked on the bed, and his eyes opened to look at Don.

"There we go Severus. Now focus on your breathing. Breath in and... now out. Very good Severus."

A few more minutes of making Severus breathe calmly, and then the Healer removed his hand from the man's chest. Gently Don then continued the task he had previously stopped to calm Severus.

"This will only take a moment Severus, and then I'll arrange for Harry to have a bone density test and get you set up with your potions."

Severus nodded and then Don placed his hands on Severus's stomach. Ignoring the flinch Don began to scan Severus to see what damage had been done.

When he was done, he sighed and sat next to Severus while he let the man button up his shirt himself. "Your stomach shrank again, but you didn't seem to do any other damage this time.

""Nodding Severus finished the last button and then looked up at Don. " I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize Severus, just try to eat. I know you don't feel hungry or you forget, but you really need to take care of yourself or let me and Albus take care of you."

Severus looked down and Don reached out to place the pillow he had removed back behind his head to help him sit up. Then, very gently he placed his hand under Severus's chin and made it so that the man could look nowhere else.

"Albus and I just want to see you happy and healthy. I think having Harry around will be good for you, but you have to promise me Severus that you will set a good example for him. You need to have regular meals and have adequate amounts."

"I promise I'll try."

Don smiled at the man and nodded. "I know you will Severus. Now let me go call Albus and tell him about the potions and then when Harry wakes up maybe you can give him a tour around. I want to try to have the bone density test done today though, and maybe have his first talk therapy so please keep it a short tour."

Severus nodded and Don patted the man on the hand before he got out of his chair. "I'll see you in a bit Severus. Try to rest for me, ok?"

When Don saw the nod from Severus he left the room to search for the nurse he had talked to earlier. As soon as he left Severus relaxed back onto the bed, but sat back up when he heard a small whimper come from the bed beside him. Looking over Severus saw Harry facing him with his eyes closed, but the small plushy had escaped his grasp and had fallen onto the floor.

Getting up from his bed Severus took the few steps over to the child and picked up the small toy off the floor. He then gently pushed the toy into the boy's hand and smiled as the boy clutched it and drew it close to his chest.

Sitting in the chair next to Harry Severus softly placed a hand on the child's forehead and brushed back the soft hair. A haircut was definitely in order.

Pulling back his hand Severus sighed. Don needn't have told him about Harry's injuries earlier he had read the healers face and had seen the distress every time he had found something new.

Before Severus got out of his chair and walked over to his own bed, he cast a silent monitoring charm on Harry so he would know when he awoke. He might as well listen to Don while he could. He couldn't give Harry Dreamless Sleep every night, and no matter how much therapy the boy had he would still experience some nightmares. Hopefully, not as bad as they had been last night though. With that thought Severus closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep.


	7. Gardens

Thanks for all the reviews! Another chapter written and I'm exhausted! haha

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Yes the part of the brain that handles processing new information is damaged, but just slightly and shouldn't effect Harry too much. Your getting ahead of me though! Don had more tests to run the next day and he might run some tests to see if he has any other disorders, but I haven't decided yet. Also I see Harry at least a year younger then his peers and two heads shorter.

LunaBeth203 - Yep second year! :)

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><p>When Severus woke it was to soft tinkling bells in his ears from the alarm charm he had placed on Harry before he had fallen asleep. Sleepily he looked over at Harry and gave a small smile to the boy who was looking back at him. Silently the man canceled the spell that was still chiming in his ear while he sat up in bed.<p>

"Hey Harry, did you have a good nap?"

Harry slightly nodded and held the small toy to his closer to his chest making Severus smile grow a little more.

"Have you thought of a name for that little guy?"

Looking down at the toy Harry nodded. "I thought I would call him Shadow."

"That's a very good name Harry. Would you like to take a look around the clinic? They have a very nice garden."

Harry gave another small nod. "Would you come with me?"

"Of course child."

Harry let out a small smile as Severus swung his feet off the side of the bed. Seeing the boy start to get up Severus came over and offered a hand up to the child. Gratefully Harry accepted the hand and let his Professor help him leap off the bed. With a small sigh Severus, not for the first time cursed the Dursleys for stunting his growth while Harry was cursing his height as well. The boy really hated being at least two heads shorter than his classmates. Hopefully, he would catch up to his classmates sooner rather than later.

Before the two left the room though, Severus looked gently down at the boy. "Do you want to use the restroom before we explore?"

Harry took a moment, but then he looked up at Severus with his plushy still in his arms and nodded.

Severus gave a small nod. "The bathroom is right over there Harry. Call if you need anything."

"Thank you sir." With that Harry, slowly walked over to the bathroom and when he was inside closed the door behind him. A few minutes later Harry came out and went back to Severus's side taking hold of his hand.

"Ready to go now?"

"Yes sir."

Nodding his head Severus grabbed the two robes Don had left hanging by the door. Handing one of them to Harry he watched as the boy put it on, and then he put his own on. Then, confirming soft slippers were on both of their feet he cast a warming charm on the both of them to ward off chills as they wandered the halls. When he deemed them both ready Severus gently guided the boy out of the room and down the hall to their first stop the cafeteria. Walking in Severus looked down at the small black haired child.

"How about a snack that was a pretty small lunch we had."

"Yes please."

Severus then led the boy over to the hospital like cafeteria counter and picked up two apple pie slices and put them on a tray.

"Do you like apple pie Harry?"

Shyly the child looked down. "I've never had it."

"That's ok Harry. Would you like to try some?"

Looking up and smiling at his Professor he nodded. Severus just replied by dragging the tray further down the counter and placing two glasses of milk on it. When he was finished, he picked the tray up with one hand and kept his other grasped tightly around Harry's.

"Do you see a table you want to sit?"

Severus had caught Harry looking longingly towards the booths near the side windows. The one thing Severus did like about this clinic was the full wall windows to the outside plush gardens. It made this place look so free and calming, probably the effect they were going for.

Shyly the boy looked down and shuffled his feet. Slightly sighing Severus gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze and decided he would make the decision for him.

"How about in the booth over there by the window. What do you think?"

Smiling Harry looked up. "That would be brilliant sir."

Nodding Severus started walking over to their destination. When they got there Severus placed the tray on the table and sat down on one side of the booth while Harry sat on the other side. The man then carefully placed the two glasses of milk on the table, one in front of Harry and the other in front of him. After doing the same with the pie, a friendly looking nurse came over and smiled at the two.

"Would you like me to take care of that tray for you?"

Severus gave her a small nod. "Thank you and would you mind telling Don, I mean Healer Patterson, that we are having a small snack and then maybe take a walk in the garden?"

"Certainly."

With that, the nurse picked up the tray and went to inform Don where his wayward patients disappeared to. While the nurse left Severus looked at Harry.

"Would you like to go on that walk I mentioned?"

Harry's whole face lit up and enthusiastically nodded. "Very much sir."

Smiling at the boy Severus nodded his head towards the glass of milk in front of Harry. "Then have your snack and we'll go."

Harry gave a small nod and picked up the glass of milk and started to drink. Severus followed suite and they both drained half or more than half of their glasses before they started the pie.

When Harry took the first bit, his eyes lit up, and he sat there a few minutes savoring the taste. Severus just sat there and watched the boy amused by his actions.

"So do you like it?"

"It's probably the best thing I've ever eaten!"

Giving the boy a sad smile knowing that the child was more than likely not exaggerating like many children do. This was likely one of the only treats the boy had in his short life. He stopped those thoughts quickly though, and had to remind himself that he was replacing the child's bad memories with happy ones.

"I'm glad Harry."

Harry gave a small smile and then started to wolf down his pie, but was careful not to eat too fast. Severus happily dug in as well while watching Harry enjoy himself.

When they were finished, Harry had eaten his entire slice while Severus had managed a decent chunk, but not all of it. Smiling Severus looked at the child immediately after he put his fork down.

"How are you feeling Harry?"

"Great! Can we go outside now?"

Smiling and almost...chuckling Severus nodded. "But first we have to take care of our dishes. You see here while they do have house elves they think it's beneficial for patients to have some sort of responsibilities. Therefore, we have to wash our own dishes."

Harry gave a nod in understanding so Severus continued.

"Place your fork on your plate and carry that in one hand while you carry your glass in the other. You see that window in the wall over there? Go put them over there and I'll be over in a minute to show you how to wash them."

Harry did as he was told and Severus watched as Harry carried his dishes over to the window. He had stayed back a bit just to gage how Harry was walking and how far they could go with Harry still in a cast. Seeing no limp or obvious distress he figured he was fine for a short walk and might do him some good to get some exercise. After all, if the boy did get tired before they came back inside he could always carry him. It's not as if Harry were taller or even weighed more than a ten-year old. Again, he mentally cursed the Dursleys as he got up to join Harry.

Reaching the window he saw a meek boy trying to hide the fact that he had already washed his dishes. Smiling Severus placed his dishes down and slightly turned to the child.

"Anxious to get outside?"

Blushing Harry looked down. "I'm sorry I didn't wait as you said too, sir."

Severus placed a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's ok Harry. I just thought you wouldn't know how to use water hose. It is a little different from most and can be confusing for some."

Shrugging his shoulders Harry lent into Severus's hand. "Aunt Petunia often had me cook and clean up at the local community center when her group got together to play bridge. They had a sink kind of like this."

Moving his hand from Harry's shoulder to pull the boy's back into him so he could give him a one-armed hug Severus let out a small sigh. Don had said that when Harry volunteered information like this, he should pursue Harry's train of thought and keep him talking.

"Who else helped with the cooking and cleaning?"

Relaxing into Severus's chest Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It was just me until Mrs. Landow started to come to the meetings. She refused to allow me to do everything by myself and helped every time she came."

Severus sighed knowing this was going to be more of a conversation then he had thought. So he looked behind him and met the eyes of a nurse. Gesturing with his head to the dishes on the counter and then down to the child in his arms he rose his eyebrows as if to ask a question.

Silently she nodded as if she understood. Severus then looked down at the boy and wrapped his other arm around him in a small hug.

"Come on Harry let's go somewhere outside to talk some more."

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><p>The child nodded and Severus unwrapped his arms from Harry, but kept a steady hand on his shoulder. Silently he led the child to the door and then outside to the garden. When they were outside Severus spotted a bench near by and gently steered the child to sit down beside him.<p>

"Do you want to tell me more about this Mrs. Landow Harry?"

Harry's eyes brightened up at the mention of her name and then lent into Severus's side while the man cast a silent warming charm over the both of them.

"She was always very nice to me when we were in the kitchen. My Aunt always told me I was to not eat any of the food I was preparing, but Mrs. Landow always snuck food to me saying what my Aunt didn't know wouldn't hurt her."

Brushing the hair away from Harry's face Severus gently tried to prod Harry into saying a bit more. "I'm glad she was there to help you Harry. How often did these meetings happen?"

"On Tuesdays and Thursdays. I always looked forward to going because it meant that I got to eat that day. When I missed a day though, the next time I went Mrs. Landow was always so worried. As soon as Aunt Petunia left the kitchen she would check me head to toe to establish I was ok. Once she saw, a few bruises and she said something to Aunt Petunia...I wasn't allowed to go for three weeks. She never said anything after that, but she kept telling me that she would get me out of that 'hell hole' somehow, someday."

Gently Severus snaked his arms around the child and hugged him close to his side. "I'm sorry Harry that she couldn't get you out sooner. You are out now though, and you are safe. I promise you; you will never go back."

Then, almost musing to himself Severus continued. "Maybe we will take a trip to see Mrs. Landow. Would you like that Harry?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically. "I would really like that. I even know where she lives. She brought me to her house one day when she found me in the park in the winter without a coat. She told me that I needed to at least warm up before she brought me home."

"I'll see what I can arrange then. Now how about our walk?"

Harry made a move to get up and Severus released his arms from around him. Then, he gently helped the boy to his feet while got to his own. Taking the child's hand in his own the two began to walk around the vast garden with Harry looking around in awe and Severus answering his questions when they were asked.

After a half hour of walking around, Severus noticed that Harry was starting to tire so they both began to head inside. When Harry noticed that they were heading back he looked up at Severus with confusion written throughout his face. Smiling down at the child he gave Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I can see you're starting to get a little tired, and I bet Don is looking for us or will be soon. Don't worry though we will explore some more when we come back tomorrow and maybe later I'll tell you about the gardens at your Headmaster's house."

Harry gave a small nod and gave in to his exhaustion by leaning into Severus's side. Gently Severus wrapped his arm around the child.

"Would you like some help for the rest of the way?"

At the offer Harry's brain was starting to tell him to say no that it was too childish to be picked up and carried, but his heart was yearning for the closeness; for the care he desperately wanted. For a few more moments Harry stood there with his internal struggle, but then his heart won out, and he nodded.

Gently Severus leaned over and lifted the child into his arms. When Harry was safely tucked against his chest Severus again began to stride forward, but this time at a much faster pace for he had slowed considerably when the child was walking beside him.

Just a few minutes later Severus was inside the building and heading for their room. When they reached their room Severus gently extracted the child from his arms and sat him down on his bed with his legs dangling over the edge.

"You should rest a while until Don comes to fetch us for another test. Would you like to read a book or something else?"

Shyly Harry looked at Severus while fumbling with his hands nervously. "Could I draw?"

Smiling slightly Severus nodded. "I think that can be done."

With that Severus conjured up a small lap table with a bunch of paper on it and a small thing of colored pencils. Before placing the table on Harry's lap, Severus put it on the bedside table and looked at the child who was still dangling his feet over the edge of the bed.

"Why don't you get comfortable and lie back against the pillows?"

Harry nodded and did as Severus told him. Taking off his robe and slippers he then moved his back so that it was resting against the pillows. Severus then silently pulled the covers up so that they lay loosely on Harry's lap and picked the lap table up again to set it on Harry's lap.

"You all set there Harry? Do you need anything else?"

Smiling up at Severus Harry shook his head. "Thank you."

When Severus saw the smile he gave a small nod and sat down on his own bed. He then picked up the potions journal that Don had left him on the bedside table and took the small bow off it. Shaking his head a bit and smiling at Don's small gift he opened the cover and began to read.

It was somewhat an unspoken tradition between the two men dating all the way back to the first time Severus visited the clinic. Every time the man found himself here Don would leave an anonymous gift by his bed as sort of a peace offering. Of course, Severus was not supposed to know that it was Don who left the gift for him and the man acted surprised every time he thanked him, but Severus knew it was him. Who else would leave gifts by his bedside?

Severus then while still staring at the words in front of him not really reading them, began to think of the first gift Don had given him and slightly smiled. He had loved that small stuffed snake and it still held a special place on his bookshelf in his room. With that fond memory Severus looked over Harry and out of the corner of his eye sitting on the table beside the child he noticed a small package with a bow on it that he had missed before.

Immediately, he knew what it was and slowly got off his bed picking up the small package from the table as he did. With a smile, he came over to the boy who looked up from his drawing when he heard Severus approach. When the child saw the small package, his look turned to one of confusion and as Severus placed it on the tray in front of him his confusion grew even more.

As soon as Severus saw the confusion on the boy's face, he quickly began to soothe him. With a smile on his face Severus sat on the bed next to Harry and gestured towards the small package.

"It looks as though someone left you a present. Do you want to open it?"

"Someone left this for me?"

"Yes Harry."

Harry's eyes looked pleadingly up at Severus. "Are you sure it's for _me_?"

Again Severus gave a small nod. "What's wrong Harry?"

Looking in front of him to the gift Harry started to talk, but it seemed that it was more to himself than anyone else. "It's just I've never gotten a gift before except for Headwig."

Closing his eyes for a moment to calm himself Severus took a deep breath cursing the Dursleys for more than the third time that day. Then, opening his eyes again he patted Harry on the shoulder trying to give some comfort to the child.

"Well, open it up then, and see what you got."

Slowly Harry untied the bow with shaky hands. He then flipped the package upside down and carefully undid the tape so that he would not rip the paper.

As Harry unwrapped the present Severus again cursed the Dursleys. No child should savor a present as if it were going to be the last one they were ever going to receive. They should rip open the wrapping and shout with glee when they found what was inside.

When Harry finished with the wrapping, he gently took out the slightly bigger plushy than the one had picked out at the store. Shakably Harry lifted the new stuffed lion a bit higher and gave it a tentative hug. He then looked down at the small note that was still in the package and read what it said. With a small smile on his face Harry picked up his other small toy with a more sure hand and hugged that next to his new lion.

Shyly Severus looked down to the note that made the boy smile and when he read what it said he smiled as well.

"I thought Shadow might need some more company."

Slightly Severus shook his head in amusement. He had no idea how Don had heard the boy's name for his animal earlier, but he apparently had. Don and his mysterious ways of knowing everything.

"So what are you going to name your new lion?"

Harry looked at his new toy and thought for a long moment. He then looked up at Severus and shrugged his shoulders a little. "I don't know...what do you think I should name him sir?"

Again, patting the boy on his shoulder Severus gave the child a smile. "That is up to you Harry; he is yours. If you can't think of anything right now take some time and think of the perfect name for your new friend."

Giving the man a small nod Harry looked down at his two toys. With that nod Severus cleared away the paper and got a small peek at what the boy had been drawing before he had interrupted him. What Severus saw made his chest tighten and he couldn't help the small gasp that came from his mouth. There was a perfect image of Lily holding a young baby with black hair.

Hearing the gasp Harry looked up at his Professor and saw the look of sadness cross the man's face. Following Severus gaze down to his picture he fumbled his hands nervously.

"I'm...I'm sorry it's not very good."

Shaking himself out of his stupor Severus blinked and when he saw the slightly scared expression on the boys face he gave a small sigh.

"No Harry, it's quite stunning. I was just surprised at how wonderful it is. Do you have any photos of you mum and dad?"

Harry gave Severus a small nod. "Hagrid gave me a photo book before I left Hogwarts last year. I usually keep it under my pillow..."

Following Harry's train of thought Severus continued while still looking at the sunning drawing of a red-haired woman smiling back at him. "Is it back in your dorm under your pillow?"

"Yeah, I wish I had it here..."

Severus nodded and got off the bed. "I'll go call Professor Mcgonagall then and ask her to fetch it for you. How about that?"

"I...I would like that."

"Ok Harry I will be right back."

Just then Don walked into the room and smiled at both of his boys. As Severus started to leave the room Don placed a hand on his arm.

"And where are you going?"

Silently Severus whispered where he was going to Don and Don released his arm while he nodded. Very quietly Don then asked for Severus to stay out of the room a bit longer that he had intended for he wanted to talk with Harry for a while. He had originally planned to take Harry to the therapy room for a small talk, but could see the child was too tired at the moment for too much stress. They would have the talk therapy here where he was comfortable.

As Severus left he gave a nod at Don. When Severus had gone Don came over to the boy and pulled up the chair to sit next to his bed.

"Do you like your new lion Harry?"

The boy gave a small nod. "Do...do you know who gave it to me?"

With a sly smile Don gave the same answer when Severus had first asked where the gift had come from. "I don't know Harry, but I do know that whoever did cares about you a great deal."

Looking down at his new toy Harry had a small smile on his face, and very quietly he began to speak. "Just like how Severus said he cares...someone...someone else cares?"

Scooting his chair a little closer to the child Don placed a hand on the boy's knee. "Yes Harry. I care very much and so does Severus, the Headmaster, your Head of House, and a lot of other people."

Hugging the two soft toys Harry gave a small nod.

Sighing Don sent a touch of calming magic into the boy. "I know you don't believe me right now Harry and that's all right. In time, though I hope that you will start to believe and trust us."

Sighing when Don saw the boy just hug the plushies closer to his chest he tried to continue as gently as he could while still sending calming magic into the child knowing that what was going to be discussed now was going to be distressing for the child.

"Harry I wanted to talk to you about something important. Is that ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and moved his legs up so that the stuffed animals were now squished between his chest and knees. It seemed that Harry had some idea of what he wanted to talk to him about or could just sense that he was not going to like this conversation. When Don felt the child start to change positions he moved his hand and scooched his chair a bit closer to the head of Harry's bed.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions and I want you to try to answer me as honestly as possible. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or don't want to talk about it just say so and I'll do whatever I can to make you feel better. Remember though that talking about our experiences often help us feel better."

Giving another nod Harry accepted the Healers touch when the man placed a hand back on his raised knee.

"Ok Harry remember your nightmare the other night that had the doctor in it?"

"Yes..."

"Very good Harry. Now can you tell me what the doctor did after your Aunt left the room?"

"Do...do I have to?"

Sending a bit more calming magic into the boy to keep calm, but still lucid Don gave a little shake of the head.

"You don't_ have _to do anything Harry, but I promise you it can only help if you tell me."

Harry gave a small nod while staring straight at the wall in front of him and continued in a detached monotone voice.

"He...he made me take off all my clothes...all of them. He then...touched me...down there. When...when he was done, ...he...took out a camera...and started to make me pose while...he took pictures of me..."

Harry reaching his breaking point then buried his face into the stuffed animals and began to sob brokenheartedly. Don saw the meltdown and got off his chair to sit on the bed next to Harry. Carefully he removed the tray from the boy's bed putting it on the table next to them and drew the distraught child into his lap. Placing a hand on Harry's chest he started to send stronger spurts of calming magic while trying to talk calmly to the child. At first, Harry fought Don and his magic as the Healer tried to calm him, but after a few minutes Harry gave into the warm feeling of his magic and relaxes lightly.

"That's it Harry; you're here with me Don and everything is alright. That man can never do that to you again I promise. Just try to calm down some for me and take deep breaths."

Harry did as he was told and tried to calm down letting the magic flow through his system. He didn't quite understand how he was feeling right now, and frankly it scared him even more than anything. He knew he was scared that the man would find him now that he told on him as he had said, but he also felt that pressure that had been on his chest disappear and that made him feel a bit better. Burring his head into Don's chest a lot calmer now Harry still continued to cry his heart out, but in a normal pace now.

When the man felt Harry start to move in his arms Don removed his hand from the child's chest and let him move into a more comfortable spot. After the child was done shifting around, Don wrapped both arms around the child and began to rock him and rub soothing circles on his back.

"That's right you can cry as much as you need to now that you have calmed down some. Remember though that no one here will ever hurt or humiliate you like that; I will make sure of that."

While Don tried to calm the child further his mind was wondering. That awful man had taken pictures of the boy. He needed to get in contact with the police men he had met a couple of times before when he had similar situations with muggle born children. The last time they had met they had mentioned that men like that liked to post those photos on something fairly new called the interweb or something like that so that everyone could see them. That thought made Don shudder. How could someone invade and humiliate a child like that and then bare it all for the world to see?

As Harry began to calm down even further Severus stepped into the room holding a small photo album in his hand. When he saw Harry crying he immediately came over, but Don put up a hand to stop him from coming any closer and then pointed to the man's own bed. Silently Severus nodded and went to sit on his bed understanding that Don wanted to try to calm the child himself. It was important that Harry started to trust more people than just Severus and this was a step in that direction.

Severus watched the two as Don calmed Harry until the child was just giving small hiccuping occasionally. All the while Don had the boy pressed close to his chest and had been whispering small words of comfort in his ear. Gently Don pulled to the child away from his chest when he felt Harry was ready and gave him a small smile.

"How do you feel now Harry?"

"Lighter...like...like a weight has been lifted off my chest."

Don gave a small nod. "I'm very glad to hear that Harry. Now do you want to sit on your own or do you want to stay where you are. Either way I believe Severus has brought you something."

"I...I can sit on my own."

"Ok Harry." With that Don, gently placed the boy on the bed so that he was sitting next to him. Severus then got off his bed and came to sit in the chair Don had occupied before Harry had broken down. Gently Severus placed the photo album in Harry's lap.

"Thank you for bringing it sir."

"Open it up Harry, there are some more photo's in the back."

Looking up at Severus Harry wiped that last of his dried tears from his face with the back of his sleeve. "There are?"

Severus just nodded and opened the book up to where he had put the new photos in the sleeves. When he had flooed to Minerva's office and talked to her about the album she had immediately fetched it for him, but she had also come back with some loose photos she had taken years ago. As Severus placed the photos of both Lily Potter and James Potter in the book he noticed that more than a few of them that had Lily in the photo had him next to her or close by. When Severus saw that he had looked up at the woman and had given her a grateful nod while Minerva ignored the few stray tears rolling down his face and gave a nod of her own.

As Harry looked over the new photos with a small smile on his face Severus made a vow that tonight he would add some of his own photos to the boy's collection and maybe ask some other Professors if they had any they were willing to give up. When Harry had finished memorizing every photo to memory, he shyly looked back up at his Professor and Severus noticed a few more tears residing there.

"Th...thank you."

Conjuring a hanky Severus wiped away the new tears gently. "Don't thank me Harry. These are from your Head of House when we go back home tonight I will add some of mine for you."

Hearing that Harry launched himself from the bed and into Severus's arms leaving the photo book behind. Hugging the child to himself Severus closed his eyes thinking of when the last time he had held Lily like this. Those old photos were bringing up memories like that and Severus didn't really know how that made him feel. Of course, it made him feel a touch of sadness, but at the same time he felt oddly comforted that he could at least hold the little bit of Lily that was left.

Pulling the child back from his chest a bit Severus looked Harry in the eye. "I take it you like my idea?"

"Very much sir!"

"Good."

Severus then let the boy who now had a blush on his face jump down and get back on his bed. He had just realized how childish he had acted jumping on his guardian like that and crying all over Don moments before that. God he was turning into such a baby.

Don read the emotions running across Harry's face like a book and gently placed a two fingers under the boy's chin making it so that he could look nowhere else.

"Look at me Harry. There is no shame in showing how you really feel. That old saying 'boy's don't cry' is not true. Boy's need to cry out their emotions just as much as girls do and no one; no one should ever be ashamed for doing so. You have been strong for so long and now that we are here to help you your emotions are letting down their shields. Those shields will be down for a while Harry; it is perfectly natural."

As Don was talking to Harry occasionally he shot a glance at Severus to see whether he was listening as well. It was important that they both understood that Harry was going a little emotionally unstable for a while. Trauma over a long period of time could do that to someone, and children were even more susceptible to being emotionally weak.

Don then gently released Harry's chin and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. Silently he cast a tempus charm to see what the time was and nodded when he saw Harry was due to have his bone density test soon.

"Ok Harry, you know you're here to have some more tests right?"

Harry gave a small nod so Don continued.

"Well, one of those tests is called a bone density test. It's going to tell me how strong your bones are and if they need a bit of help growing. To do this, we have to go to a room that is unaffected by magic and we have a muggle contraption that will do the test."

Another nod came from the boy. "What...what will the machine do?"

"It's going to be kind of like an x-ray machine. You will have to lie flat on a table and this big piece of metal will go over your body and do a scan of all the bones in your body. The scan will only last ten minutes, and you won't feel anything."

"Will you be there?" Harry turned to look at Severus with pleading eyes.

Severus saw the look and gently picked up the boy's hand into his own. "I will be there the entire time Harry and so will Don because the radiation does not affect magical people as it does muggles we can be in the room with you. "

Harry gave a small nod as Don got up and took the hand that Severus had released. "We should get going Harry."

Harry accepted a hand up and got off the bed to follow the Healer and Severus out if the room and into the hall. Before they left the room though, Severus had slipped a robe around Harry's shoulders, confirmed soft slippers were on his feet and cast a silent warming charm over him.

Walking through the hallway Harry clutched tightly onto Shadow feeling just a bit nervous. He had left his other toy behind on the bed because it was a bit cumbersome caring both toys in his arms as he walked and if he were honest he was attached to the small kneazle more than the lion.

Arriving at the room Harry hesitated just outside the door. When Severus turned around to see what the matter was, he saw Harry shaking and holding his plushy close to his chest. With a small sigh, he knelt down before the child and rested a hand on his cheek.

"Hey there Harry. What's wrong?"

Unconsciously Harry lent into the soft touch and calmed a little when all he could see was the concerned Professor.

"Ner...nervous."

Brushing the boy's hair back be then gently moved his hand down onto his shoulder. "It's ok Harry; I'll hold your hand the entire time. Come on now."

Harry took hold of Severus hand as the man gently led him into the room. Closing the door behind them Severus led the boy over to the table and lifted him by the armpits so he could sit on the flat surface. It was quite a high table that even an adult would need help up or have really good upper body strength to leaver themselves up.

Don came over and placed a pillow on one side of the table and Severus helped the child lie down so that his head gently rested on it. Don then pressed a small button on a remote and a large metal plate appeared above Harry's feet.

With Severus, holding Harry's hand Don patted the child on the shoulder to gain his attention. "This won't hurt at all Harry, just try to lie as still as you can."

As Harry gave, a small nod Don pressed the button to begin, and the metal plate started to slowly move up Harry's body and then when it reached his shoulders it started to move back towards his feet. When the scan was done, Harry had his eyes shut tightly, and it looked as if he were squeezing the life out of his poor stuffed toy.

As soon as Severus got the ok from Don he quickly lifted the boy off the table and into his arms. He hated to see Harry so scared it hurt his heart. Hugging the child closer to him Severus gently rubbed the boy's back with calming circles.

"It's ok Harry; it's all over and you're ok."

Don came over and placed a hand on Severus's shoulder and whispered something that only Severus could hear. As Severus nodded he started to carry Harry down the hall and back into their room. When they got there Severus placed the child on his bed and gently took off his slippers and robe. He then tucked the child under the covers and spotted the potion a nurse had left beside his bed. Pouring a bit of sleeping drought into a spoon he tenderly fed it to the boy.

"You should sleep for a few hours Harry; you're tired and stressed and need a bit of rest. When you wake up we can have some dinner ok?"

Silently he added. "...and we can also go over the results of the test." Severus sometimes hated the fact that muggle machines took a few hours to process the results it gave you too much time to worry. That was one of the few reasons the two adults had thought it would be best for Harry to sleep through the wait. They did not want the boy to work himself up into a panic thinking of all the possibilities.

Slowly the child nodded and closed his eyes succumbing to the potion that was now flowing through his body. Don had followed Severus closely as he carried the boy back to his room and had watched the scene before him with a slight smile on his face. It was nice to see Severus care for someone.

When Severus had stopped fussing, yes fussing, over the child he turned and saw Don looking at him with mirth in his eyes. Blushing a bit Severus went and sat down on his bed embarrassed that Don had caught him acting like a doting father.

Turning the chair around that was still in the room Don sat down and patted Severus on the knee. "Don't worry Severus I think it's sweet that you care so much."

Gowning Severus placed his head in his hands. "You're never letting me live this down are you?"

Softly Don let out a chuckle and moved to sit beside Severus. "There is nothing wrong with caring for a child who needs all the love he can get. Frankly I'm glad that you care so much for him. It's not just good for him, but it's good for that heart of yours to warm up a bit."

Lifting his head slightly he looked at Don through the side of his hand. "You won't tell Minerva and Albus that I kissed him on the forehead will you?"

Patting the man's knee Don gave a small nod in understanding. "If it bothers you that much I won't say a word to them, but don't hide your feelings from them. They already know you care for the child; it's obvious the way you act around him."

Severus sighed. "I..I was thinking about adoption. He needs something more stable than guardianship, and then the Ministry can't interfere. Do...do you think it's too soon or that I'm making a mistake?"

Don sent a bit of calming magic into Severus sensing that his patient was getting a little worked up.

"Calm down Severus. I think that adoption would be good for Harry, but I think you should talk to him about it before you do anything and see what his thoughts are."

Severus gave a small nod and Don could see he was calming down so he stopped the flow of magic. Then, patting Severus on the knee gently he got off the bed.

"You should get some rest as well Severus. The few hours you got here and the few hours last night is not enough. You look exhausted; I can see the bags under your eyes."

Severus sighed and took off his own slippers and robe. He then pulled back his covers and as soon as his head hit the pillow he was out.

Don smiled at the sight. He could always read the man like an open book even if he closed himself up so tight most people thought he had no emotions. Gently Don pulled up the rest of the covers and then left the room, but not before placing a charm on both of them to let him know when they woke. Both his patients were getting a good meal tonight whether they liked it or not.


	8. Photos

Thank you for al the reviews! Over 8,000 words and my brain feels like it's melting...but in a good way! :)

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Don't wory I won't throw anything at you or send any glares, but you never know what Severus will do. haha I know your pulling for ADD and dsypraxia, but well see what happens... Next chapter I promise! Again I thank you for pointing out my small mistake. Sometimes after re-reading the chapter for the third time my eyes miss things like that.

GinaStar - Thank you! I knew it was spelled wrong, but my spell checker and google decided to just not work that day. haha

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><p>"Come on Severus eat please."<p>

Severus sent a glare Don's way that would even make a seventh-year cry and let out a small growl.

Don just rolled his eyes at the man's dramatics. "Yes, yes I know Severus you are the meanest Professor in Hogwarts. I also know that you need your strength up to be snarky and mean to those poor students. So eat!"

Severus let out another small growl as he grudgingly picked up his fork and poked his food with it.

Don sent another look Severus's way. "Come on Severus. I know you want to set a good example for someone else in here."

Severus sent one last glare at Don and saw the warning look the Healer was giving him. Sighing Severus looked down at his meal and began to feed himself slowly.

Patting Severus on the arm Don gave a small nod in approval. "Good job Severus."

The Healer then turned to the almost teen on the next bed who had missed Severus performance because he had been to engrossed in his own food. Silently he was glad that Harry had missed Severus being difficult the child didn't really need to see that, not yet at least.

Sitting down in the chair between the two beds Don watched his two boys. Just ten minutes ago he had woken them from their nap and had put dinner trays on their laps figuring that it would be best to get some food in their stomachs before they slept too long.

When Harry saw the food with his sleepy eyes he had perked up so quickly that it had made Don laugh. He had a sneaking suspicion that Harry's antics were going to cause him much amusement in the future. As soon as Severus had seen the tray of food though he had groaned and protested that he wasn't hungry. An appetite stimulant and a few more scowls though, and he had Severus eating. He really had his work cut out for himself.

Shaking those thoughts from his head Don looked back at Severus who was now eating contently, not that the man would ever admit that the appetite stimulant helped. Suddenly, the man stopped eating though, and looked at Don pleadingly. Heaving a small sigh Don got up and moved over to sit beside Severus.

Placing a hand on Severus's forehead to see whether he had a temperature just in case, he was dismayed when he found one. When he felt the temperature Don quickly removed the tray from Severus's lap and placed it on the table next to them. Lowering Severus so that he was lying flat on his back by removing a pillow from behind him the Healer cast a silencing spell around the two so they could hear Harry, but the child could not hear them.

"How long have you felt unwell Severus and why did you not say anything?"

Turning his head so that he was looking at the wall at the other side of the room Severus let out a small sigh.

Don placed a hand on Severus's arm and frowned a bit when he felt the man shivering a bit. "Talk to me Severus."

Turning his head slightly Severus looked at his Healer. "It was just a small stomach ache before I went to sleep. It was nothing."

"You know better than to keep even the smallest hurt from me Severus. Now relax and let me see what's wrong."

Severus nodded and Don gently rose Severus's pajama top so he could examine him. Placing a hand on Severus's stomach Don not only sent his magic out to seek what the problem was, but he also sent some calming magic, and a touch of magic to keep the man warm.

Feeling the magic flow through his body Severus let his body relax on the bed, and he closed his eyes. When Don was done, he replaced the man's top and put his hand on Severus's forehead.

"It's just a small stomach ache and fever. Nothing serious, but I want to give you a stomach soother and fever reducer to make sure it does not get worse. Next time please tell me you don't feel well before you eat, and I can get you something milder."

With his eye's still closed Severus gave a small nod. His stomach was too upset to complain or argue with Don.

Slowly Don removed his hand from Severus's head. "I'll be right back with those potions Severus."

Before Don left the side of the man's bed though Severus placed a hand on his arm. Concerned the Healer looked down at Severus.

"What's wrong Severus?"

"Head."

Don knew that Severus's head was hurting him, but he had wanted Severus to say something before he had let the man know that he knew. It was good when Severus admitted when he was hurt and he wanted to encourage the man to do so more often.

"Ok Severus I'll get you something for your head too. Thank you for telling me it was hurting."

Severus gave a small nod and released Don who gently patted him on the arm.

"I'll be right back Severus."

When Don saw the small nod, he canceled the silencing spell and before leaving the room confirmed that Harry was still eating.

Moments later Don had come back with four potions in his hands. Quickly he made it back to the bed and gently sat back on the edge he helped Severus sit up and put the pillow he had removed back behind his head. With Severus's eyes, still closed Don put the headache potion to Severus's lips first. According to how the man was reacting it was quite a severe one and Don wanted to take care of that before anything else.

Feeling the thick potion go down his throat Severus grimaced slightly at the taste, but then relaxed and was able to open his eyes without the burning pain running ramped throughout his head.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome Severus. Now open up for the stomach soother."

Severus did as Don said and opened his mouth so that the Healer could poor the nasty stuff down his throat. Normally, he would have protested loudly at the indignity of being treated like a child, but presently he was feeling too much like crap to do anything, but obey.

When he felt the potion take effect though Severus let out a huge sigh in relief and was able to take the last potion Don was handing him. Gulping it back Severus then relaxed back onto the bed and shot a grateful look at his Healer.

After Severus took the fever reducer though, Don again placed a hand on the man's forehead and sighed when he felt that it was not as hot as it had been. He then took out the fourth potion he had brought with him and waved it in front of Severus's face.

"You know you have to Severus."

Severus sighed and scowled a little at the offending vial, but did take the nutrient potion from the man's hand. He really did have to figure out a way to make this certain potion taste better. Chugging it back Severus grimaced and quickly handed the vial back to Don.

The Healer just slightly smiled at Severus's antics and patted him on the shoulder. "After Harry is finished eating, you two should go back to Hogwarts so Harry can spend time getting use to your rooms and maybe you could share those photos you were talking about earlier."

Severus gave a small nod and sat up further in bed.

"Remember though that if you start to feel worse or this little "stomach ache" turns into anything bigger you will call me. This is not a request."

Don gave the man a stern look and Severus had the decency to blush a little. "I will Don."

"Good, now you can leave your things here if you want since you are coming back tomorrow. Why don't you get up and get dressed if you want, although when you get back you're just going to get back into pajamas."

Getting off the bed Don went and sat back in the chair he had occupied before while Severus swung his legs off the edge of the bed.

"I'll get dressed I wanted to have a word with Minerva after Harry goes to bed."

Don gave a small nod in understanding. "You're going to ask her to come tomorrow when I run the tests on Harry to see if he has any learning disabilities?"

"She has a right to be there as his Head of House and I would like to have her there."

Patting the man on the shoulder as Severus stood up from the bed and Don gave a soft nod. Severus then moved to the small table and pulled his clothing from the drawer. While Severus moved to the bathroom to change Don moved over to Harry who was now finishing up his meal.

When Harry took the last bite, Don put a gentle hand on the boy's knee to gain his attention. Seeing the child look up at him the man gave him a small smile.

"How was your dinner Harry?"

"It was very good."

"I'm very glad to hear that." Don then carefully removed the tray from the boy's lap and banished it back to kitchens to be cleaned.

"So have you decided on a name for your new lion?"

Harry blushed, but nodded his head as he looked down to his lap. "Lio"

Don smiled at the still blushing boy. "That's a very good name Harry."

Shyly Harry looked up. "You think so?"

"I do. Now why don't you go get ready to go. You're going to go home for the night, and then tomorrow we can talk more about your last test and some more that I would like you to take."

Harry gave a small nod and swung his over the edge of the bed much like Severus had done. Don then helped the boy down and as Severus came out of the bathroom Harry went in.

As soon as Severus exited the bathroom Don got up and told him about the potion he was going to go get for Harry. Upset stomachs were no fun especially when it was from the floo.

When Don left Harry came out of the room still clad in pajamas. "Do you want to get dressed Harry or do you just want to go home like that?"

Harry just blushed and looked down at his feet. "Could I stay in my pajamas, sir?"

Severus gave a small nod. "You can Harry. Normally, I have a rule that when it's still light out you have to be dressed, but these are special circumstances."

Giving a shy nod Harry walked over to his bed and started to make his bed. Taking Harry's cue Severus went over and did the same to his bed.

When they were both done Severus came over and lifted Harry up so he could sit on the bed. "Did Don tell you we were going back home?"

Harry gave a small nod. "He also said that we would go over the test he did today tomorrow."

Detecting the nervousness in Harry's voice Severus sighed and sat next to the boy putting an arm around his shoulders. Why did Don have to mention that test at all? Now, the child would worry.

"Don't worry Harry. Everything is fine."

Just then Don walked in the room and Severus sent a glare his way. At first, Don sent a confused look not understanding the meaning behind the glare, but then he saw Harry sitting nervously on the bed.

With a small sigh Don came over and placed the vial he had gone to retrieve on the bedside table and then went and sat on Harry's other side.

"Whats wrong Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Can we talk about that test now?"

"We can, but I had hoped that we could wait until the morning when we have all had a good nights rest."

"Please, I need to know."

"Ok Harry. That test we did scanned all the bones in your body and checked to see how hard they were."

Don paused and took the time to gently rest a hand on Harry's knee sending him a bit of calming magic so he would calm down a bit.

"It seems Harry that your bones are not as hard as they should be; they are actually quite soft. What that means Harry it takes very little for your bones to break and you are going to have to be very careful."

Immediately, Harry's eyes shot up to meet Don's. "Quidditch?"

Don gave a sad sigh. "I don't know Harry; at least not now. I'm going to give you some calcium, and Vitamin D supplements that you are going to have to take and we'll see in a few months if you can rejoin the team."

Even with Don's calming magic flowing through Harry, the boy was breathing hard. With a look at Severus Don mouthed calming potion and Severus got off the bed in search of one or a nurse who could get one.

Don then moved his hand up to Harry's chest and started to send stronger bursts of calming magic into him. To his dismay though Harry kept fighting him and his attempts. After a few more minutes of trying, Don gave up with his current method of trying to calm Harry and pulled the boy into his lap hoping that the close contact would bring Harry back to this world. Fortunately, Severus came back the next moment and held Don give Harry the potion.

"Come on Harry, drink this potion. It will make you feel better and help you breathe."

Harry did take the potion in his mouth, but Severus had to help soothe the potion down the boy's throat by massaging up and down. As soon as the boy swallowed it down, the effects were immediate. His body slumped against Don's and he stopped fighting the calming magic.

"That's it Harry. Now breathe slowly with me. In and...out. In and...out."

The fog cleared from Harry's mind and he listened intently to his Healer doing exactly as he said. Slowly as Harry calmed down Don slowed magic flow until it was almost nonexistent.

"Very good Harry."

"I'm sorry...I'm so weak."

"Shhh Harry, none of that. Focus on calming down some more and then we will talk."

While Don was calming Harry and talking softly to him Severus had retaken his spot next to the two on the bed and had begun to gently rub the boy's back to further try to comfort him.

After a few more minutes, Don stopped the magical flow completely and Harry was breathing normally.

"Are you calm enough to talk now and tell me why you became so upset?"

Before Harry's breath could become fast again, Don replaced his hand on Harry's chest and started just a trickle of magic.

"Calmly now Harry, keep your breathing slow and steady."

Harry gave a small nod. "I need to fly...it's the only time I feel...free."

In understanding Don nodded. "I never said you could not fly Harry; I just said that quidditch was too dangerous at the moment."

"I can still fly?"

"Yes Harry, but there will be certain restrictions. You will always need an adult near by to catch you if you were to fall, and we will have to add some extra safety charms to your broom just so nothing happens."

"Ok...I'm sorry I freaked out..."

"Don't be sorry Harry for there is nothing to be sorry about. You thought that something you love was being taken away and as I said earlier your emotional shields are down at the moment making you show everything you feel. It's nothing to be ashamed about."

Harry's head relaxed back and rested on Don's shoulder as Don stopped the small flow of magic into the boy.

"Do you want to relax a bit or do you want to go back home now?"

"Can we go home?"

"Yes Harry. Why don't you grab Shadow and Lio and then you can take the stomach soother I brought before you go through the floo."

Giving a small nod Don helped the boy off his lap and turned to Severus and continued just so that Harry could not hear.

"I'll give you a supply of that potion as well. If Harry wakes up with a nightmare as he did last night it would benefit you both he took it."

Severus nodded and then smiled down at Harry as he held both his plushies close his chest and stood in front of him.

"Ok Harry, let's go home."

With that Don took the potion he had brought and handed it Harry. As soon as the child downed it Severus got up and took Harry's hand leading the child out of the room and towards the floo closely followed by Don.

Before stepping through the floo, Don placed a hand on both his boy's shoulders and they both turned to look at him.

"Both of you remember if you need me call; do not hesitate."

They both nodded obediently and then with Severus firmly gripping Harry's hand they both went through the floo back to Severus's quarters.

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><p>Arriving back at Hogwarts Severus stopped Harry from falling over his own feet again as they landed. Harry blushed, but looked up gratefully and Severus just gave him a small smile.<p>

"We're going to have to work on your landings."

Hearing that Harry blushed a bit more, but accepted the hand that guided him to the couch. Pushing him down gently Severus knelt before him.

"I'll be right back Harry. I wanted to get something to show you. Will you be ok for a few minutes?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus got up to go dig out the old album he had put away so many years ago.

Going into his room Severus went over to the trunk he had put all of the things that reminded him of his past and let out a small sigh as he popped the lid. As he lifted the lid higher, the first thing that caught his eye was a scarf Lily had wrapped around his leg when he had been bleeding after a bad fall by the forbidden forest. He had tried to give it back to her after he had been healed, but she had told him that he could keep it. Holding the scarf in his hand Severus let a small smile grace his face as he fell into the memory.

He then remembered his mission though, and set to work finding the two albums he had made of him, Lily and her parents all those years ago. Finding the leather-covered books he lovingly stroked his finger over the cover of the one that had a small oval picture of him hugging Lily when they were eight.

Sighing Severus gently lowered the lid of the trunk again. He then hugged the books close his chest and started to walk out of his room. While he was digging for his mementos he had been having second thoughts of sharing them with Harry, but as soon as he stepped out of his bedroom and saw Harry he knew he was making the rights choice. Every child had a right to know who their parents were, and this child only had a handful of pictures to tell him who they were.

When he saw, the boy's eyes look up at him Severus's strides towards the couch became surer and as soon as he reached the couch he sat next to Harry placing one book on the side table.

Placing one arm around Harry he placed the book with his picture on the front on his lap.

"Do you want to see some more pictures of your mother Harry?"

As an answer Harry leaned into Severus's side and gave a small nod.

Severus then moved his hand from the cover so that Harry could clearly see the two figures with their arms wrapped around each other. With wide eyes, Harry looked up at his Professor for the other photo's he had seen had only been on their Hogwarts days.

"You see Harry; your mother and I knew each other for a very long time. I would say since we were around five her Parents, your grandparents, kind of unofficially took me in. My parents or rather my Father was not a kind man and after my mother died your grandparents somewhat became my surrogate parents."

While Severus was telling his tale and explaining things to Harry the boy had reached out and had begun to trace the small photo with his finder. When Severus had stopped talking Harry had removed his hand and had looked up at Severus.

"Your mom died?"

"Yes Harry. She was very sick, and not even the Healers at St. Mungos could heal her."

"I'm sorry sir."

The arm he had placed around Harry tightened a little. "It's ok Harry; it was a very long time ago."

Severus then opened the book to the first page finding the photo of Lily dumping dirt over his head in the sandbox.

"As you can see your mother had a mischievous side as well. I couldn't get al of that dirt out of my hair for a full week."

Harry gave a small smile, and then they turned to the next photo or Severus's sixths birthday party.

Two hours later Harry and Severus had gone through the first book of photos and by the end Harry was pressed firmly into Severus's side. Closing the book Severus placed the book on the table next to him and pulled the child into his lap. The trip down memory lane had made the man feel that hole in his chest open up again and needed reassuring that at least Lily's child was still safe.

"I'm sorry Harry that I ever left you with your Aunt. I should have taken you in immediately after your parents died."

Harry hugged the man back fiercely. "It's...it's ok sir. I'm...I'm here now."

"No Harry, it's not ok, but I promise you I will to the best of my ability give you the life you should have had with your parents."

Rubbing the boy's back Severus hugged him tightly to his chest.

"Why don't we look over the other book tomorrow? What do you say?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"Do you want to go take a shower and then get ready for bed?"

Again, Harry gave a small nod, but his grip didn't loosen from Severus. Sensing that Harry just needed to hold on for a few more moments Severus let him, but then as his grip slowly loosened from his shoulder Severus let him go. Pulling back from his Professor Harry wiped away the stray tear that had fallen from his face he then blushed ashamed for clinging to the man like that.

Severus gave him a smile though, and helped him off his lap. When Harry got on his feet Severus patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Go on Harry, go get ready for bed."

Harry nodded and then made his way towards the bathroom, but not before stopping in his room to grab a fresh set of pajamas. After watching the boy disappear into the bathroom Severus leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. He had not meant to get emotional with Harry, but it was all too much with the photos and what memories what they brought.

Reigning in what little of his frayed emotions he had left Severus raised his head and stood up. Harry was almost finished in the bathroom, he had heard the shower turn off, and he needed to compose himself before Harry saw him.

The bathroom door then opened up, and a wet haired child came out. Smiling at Harry Severus came closer and gently guided the boy into his bedroom.

Before Harry attempted to get up on the bed though, Severus put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. Questioningly Harry looked up at him.

"Just a moment Harry."

Severus then waved his wand and made the bed shrink in height just a bit to make it easier for Harry to get in. With that done Harry gave his Professor a small hug.

"Thank you sir."

"No problem Harry. I can't lift you in and out of bed every morning and night, can I?"

Harry gave a small smile and nodded as he got into bed. Severus came over and gently tucked the child under the bed with a plushy on each side of him.

"Good night Harry. Call me or come get me if you need anything at all. Ok?"

Nodding Harry snuggled down into the covers and then closed his eyes. Gently Severus brushed back Harry's hair and stroked his forehead as he fell asleep. He then tenderly bent down and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Sleep well, child."

Severus then got back up and cast a monitoring charm over him so that he would know whether he woke. He was going to visit Minerva and needed to be there if the child woke with a nightmare. Then, with one last gentle pat Severus moved away from the bed and towards the door. Quietly he closed the door behind him as he left and walked towards the floo.

Throwing the floo powder in the fireplace Severus didn't even bother to check if Minerva was there or other wise occupied before he made his presence known. He just stepped in and called to go to the woman's rooms.

Stepping out of the floo he saw that Minerva did indeed have company. It seemed that both her and Albus were having a cup of tea. Knowing that the two wouldn't mind the interruption too much Severus just came over and sat in the vacant chair next to Albus.

Minerva just rose her eyebrows at her intruder. "So what do I owe to this interruption and did Don really let you out of his grasp so soon?"

Rolling his eyes Severus let out an over dramatic sigh. "It wasn't easy, but I managed to escape by the hair on my neck. You know how persistent Don cane be."

Minerva looked at Severus with an open mouth. "You had better be kidding with me or else I will call Don right now to drag you back!"

Severus again rolled his eyes. "You know I am woman. I am here, and Harry is in his room sleeping peacefully all under Don's orders."

Albus patted Severus's knee. "That is good to hear my child, now do you care to explain why you are here?"

Severus turned to look at Albus. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to be here, but that is alright. I wanted to come and ask Minerva a favor."

Albus took back his hand. "I can leave Severus if you want."

"You can stay Albus. I just wanted to ask Minerva whether she would come by for Harry's learning ability tests since she is his Head of House."

Before a Minerva could answer though, Severus closed his eyes and then ran over to the floo. Without bothering to explain Severus flooed to his quarters and left two very worried people behind. Quickly they were both on their feet and flooing to Severus's rooms as well.

When they got there, they were greeted with Harry's door wide open and the sounds of crying could be heard. Quickly they crossed the floor and peered into the room to see what was happening and saw Severus on the bed with a sobbing boy in his arms.

Minerva had to restrain Albus from going in and that was not easy considering se was restraining herself from going in as well. The two then exchanged helpless glances and silently agreed that they would have to wait in the living room for Severus to come out. For it didn't matter how much they wanted to help or calm the boy down there just was nothing they could do.

So as they left Severus on the bed with the crying child in his arms they both made a silent vow to themselves that when they could they would help Severus as much as he needed to help Harry. No matter what it was.

Back in the room Harry was slowly starting to calm down for Severus had gently fed the boy the potion Don had given him. Slowly his cries were lessening, but his head was still buried in Severus's robes, and he was holding on tight.

"Shhhh it's ok Harry. It was just a dream. I'm here now, and no one can ever hurt you again."

As Severus continued to speak in low tones to the boy and rub his back Harry calmed down so that he just gave to occasional whimper or hiccup. When he sensed the child was ready Severus gently pulled him away from his chest and gave him a soft look.

"Do you want to tell me about it Harry?"

Looking down Harry again started to cling to Severus as if his life depended on it. "You...you said you didn't want me anymore and...and sent me back...to...to the Dursleys. Uncle was...not pleased..."

As Harry trailed off Severus started to soothe again.

"Look at me Harry."

Harry looked up into his Professor's worried eyes shyly.

"That would never happen Harry. I would never send you away especially not back to them. It was just a dream."

To further, emphasis his statement Severus gently wiped a tear away with his thumb that had fallen from Harry's face and put his finger onto of it flicking it away into the room.

"It's all gone now Harry; it was just a dream."

At Severus's actions, Harry gave a small smile. When the man saw the smile, he silently conjured up a warm washcloth to clean off the rest of the now dry tears. Gently he brought the washcloth down and wiped away the rest of the evidence that the child had been crying. When he was done, he banished it and handed the child the glass of water that was on the table beside his bed.

Slowly the boy took a few sips and looked gratefully up at Severus. "Thank you sir."

Giving a small sigh Severus accepted the glass back from the boy and placed it back on the table. He then looked back down at Harry and gave him a small smile.

"We need to talk about the "sir" thing."

Confused Harry looked up at his Professor so the man continued.

"You can't keep calling me sir in private; it's just too formal. If you feel comfortable doing so I would like it if you called me by my given name; Severus."

"Ok si...Severus."

Severus gave a small smile and patted the boy on the shoulder.

"Are you ready to go back to sleep?"

When Severus saw the small nod he gently moved the child off his lap and back onto his bed. The man then stood up and turned to tenderly tuck the child under the covers.

"Sleep well Harry."

With that Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep to Severus softly running his fingers through his hair. With Harry, asleep Severus let out a sigh and let his hand rest on the boy's forehead a moment more. Then, removing his hand he replaced it with a small kiss.

"I would never abandon you Harry."

A few more moments passed with Severus just looking at the boy, but then he remembered seeing the two figures in the doorway while he was calming Harry and let out a small sigh. Surely, they were waiting for him in his living room.

With that thought Severus made his way to the door and closed it behind him as he left the room. Spying the two he knew to be in the living room he made his way over to the couch and sat down.

Immediately, Minerva came over, and sat next to him. "Is Harry ok? Are you ok?"

"Yes, we are both fine Minerva. It was just a nightmare and not one of the bad ones."

"That was not a bad one? He was sobbing into your chest uncontrollably!"

"I know that Minerva, but trust me when I say it could have been worse."

With the Minerva placed her head in her hands. When Albus saw her actions he came and sat down on the arm of the couch wrapping his arms around her as he did.

"You saw how well Severus helped Harry calm down. He will be ok Minerva."

Lifting her head she looked both at Albus and then at Severus. She gave a small smile and nodded. "I know that Albus, but I still can't believe how badly we've failed Harry."

"Then don't think of it that way. Think of all the things that we can do to make his life better."

Minerva nodded. "I will try that. Thank you."

She then turned to look at Severus. "As for your question you asked earlier my answer is yes. I will be there for Harry, but I will also be there for you."

Severus gave a small nod. "We are going to try to leave by nine and start the tests at nine-thirty. Is that ok with you?"

Minerva looked at Albus who nodded. "I can look over your classes for you."

"Then, it is fine with me. We should leave now and let you get some rest."

Severus nodded and flinched a little, not expecting the touch, when Minerva placed her hand on his forehead.

"Your a bit warm Severus. Should I call Don?"

Severus sighed and almost protested, but then he remembered Don's mild scolding earlier. "It you must, but I'm really fine."

Albus took Minerva's cue and moved to the floo to call the Healer as Minerva fussed over Severus just a bit more.

Soon, Albus came back with Don in tow. When Don saw Severus's pale face he came and sat on his other side placing a hand on his forehead.

"It seems that fever reducer did little good. I can't give you another for a few more hours, why don't you go have a cold shower to see whether it cools you down. Albus can come with you to assure you don't fall."

Severus blushed. "No way am I taking a shower in front of Albus! I am not a child!"

Don gave Severus a look that made him stop protesting. "As you remember you are still my patient and I'm concerned that you might become dizzy. Albus has seen you in your birthday suite many times before if I remember correctly. So what is the problem Severus?"

Severus's eyes bulged slightly. "Do you have no modesty or know what it is? I don't particularity like other people seeing me in the nude."

Albus placed a hand on Severus's arm though. "I promise I won't look. I'll just sit by the door and wait until your finished."

"Fine then." Severus then got up from the couch and made his way to the bedroom to gather his pajamas. When he came out Albus got up and followed Severus to the bathroom.

With the two out of the room Don turned to Minerva. "So you're coming in tomorrow?"

Minerva gave a small nod and Don placed a hand on her shoulder. "You remember when I ran these tests on Severus?"

Again Minerva gave a nod. "I know I'm going to sit in a room behind a one way window where he cannot see me, but I can see him."

"That is right, but we were lucky last time and found no learning disabilities with Severus. This time I fear we might. I have already found a part of his brain that has been damaged, not badly, but enough that it will affect how he grasps at new information."

Solemnly Minerva nodded. "That could be why his grades were not the best last year. They were near the bottom, but I thought he was either homesick or just to enthralled with the wizarding world to concentrate on his work. I should have looked further into it or asked him why he was having trouble as his Head of House."

"Stop it Minerva, you had no way of knowing. We know now though, and we will figure out how to help Harry tomorrow."

Placing her hand on Don's that was still resting on her shoulder she gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know. What about Severus, how is he doing?"

Don snorted. "He's Severus, stubborn, and sarcastic, but having Harry around him helps. He really cares for that boy, and it's sweet seeing them interact."

Minerva removed her hand from Don's and Don removed his from her shoulder. "I know I saw Severus become a human pillow yesterday."

Don then dug what looked like a photo from his pocket and handed it to Minerva. It was the photo of Severus and Harry cuddling in bed this morning. Looking up at Don Minerva had a smile from ear to ear.

"When did you take this?"

"This morning and you can keep it. I have copies. ...and that reminds me..."

Don then took out another photo from his pocket and pulled the book that the two had yet to go through onto his lap. Finding an open spot in the back he slipped in the copy. It would be a nice surprise for them when they looked at that book.

"You are one big sneak Don."

Don smiled at Minerva. "I know, but it's worth it."

The two then heard the door on the other side of the room open and Severus and Albus stepped out. Don made a small gesture with his hand for Severus to come closer. As Severus did come closer Don and Minerva made room so the man could sit between them again.

As soon as Severus sat down Don felt the man's forehead and frowned when he felt it was still warm.

"I'll go get a thermometer."

Don then got up and went into the bathroom in search for the instrument he would need to take the man's temperature. A few moments Don came back with the dreaded instrument and Severus let out a small groan.

Sitting down Don made a motion for Severus to open up. "Come on Severus open up or we can do it the hard way, and I know you don't want Minerva to see your bottom."

With a half-hearted glare Severus opened his mouth and let the Healer slip the thermometer under his tongue. Just a few minutes later Don took the instrument out of his mouth and examined it closely.

"º37.89 Not too bad, but still a bit high for my liking. Go to bed and I'll be there in two hours to give you another potion."

Severus nodded and got off the couch. Before he could leave though Don grabbed his arm gently. When Severus turned to look at him Don gave him a small smile.

"I'm proud of you Severus."

Blushing Severus escaped from Don's grip and into his bedroom. With a chuckle, he looked to where the man had disappeared to and shook his head.

The Healer then grew serious and turned to look at Albus. "We're going to have to go back to managing Severus's potions for him. He hasn't been taking them."

Albus sadly shook his head. "I figured as much, but I didn't want to put too much pressure on him. You know how much he hated being manhandled. So are the potions the same? A nutrient potion every morning and an appetite stimulant before every meal?"

Don nodded. "Would you mind handling Harry's potions as well since you will already have Severus's?"

"Not at all. What is he going to have to take?"

"He's going to have the same nutrient potion as Severus in the morning, but he is also going to have to take it at night as well. His bones are very weak as well so I want him to take a calcium and vitamin D supplement in the morning."

Slowly Albus nodded as though he was taking the information and putting it to memory. He then looked up at Don with curious eyes. "You said his bones are weak? Will that cause problems with quidditch or anything else?"

Don gave a slow nod and let out a sigh. "Yes it will. I don't want him playing quidditch for a few months at least until I can strengthen his bones a bit. He can still fly, but I would like an adult with him at all times, and I plan on placing a few extra safety charms on his broom."

"That seems reasonable. Is there anything else we need to know about Harry or his medical needs?"

Don sighed and then told the two of everything he had found that day including what Harry had told him about the doctor. After Severus and Harry had left the clinic, he had made a quick stop to that police station to inform them of what Harry had told him.

The two then had him sit at this machine with a big screen on it and look at all these picture to see whether he could find Harry. He unfortunately did see Harry and pointed him out to the officers. Much to Don's dismay they told him that Harry's photos were some of the most popular on that interwhatever and it was going to be hard to remove them from every webbook out there. To say Don was discussed would be an understatement. There were more photo's than he could count on that computer thingy of the child under his care.

Some of the good news though had been that the doctor had been caught and would be spending the rest of his life behind bars. Apparently, he had photographed hundreds of children and from all the other things the officers told him he did to children he suspected that Harry had gotten lucky that day.

When Don was finished telling them everything, he had learned Albus had excused himself and had retreated to the bathroom. Don suspected that the old man had to calm down his magic, and he didn't want to hurt either Don or Minerva in the process. While Albus retreated Minerva just sat they're taking deep breaths. Calmly Don removed a calming drought from his pocket and handed it to the Woman.

"Drink that Minerva, it will help."

Minerva did, and the effects were immediate. She slumped back on the couch and sighed. "Sometimes I hate people in general."

Don patted Minerva on the arm. "I know how you feel Minerva."

Albus then came out of the bathroom and sat in the chair he had vacated so suddenly.

"How are you feeling Albus? Would you like a calming drought?"

"Yes please."

As Don handed the potion to Albus, he did so with a raised eyebrow. "You avoided my first question. Could you please answer it?"

After Albus drank the potion, Albus returned the vial to the man. "I'm fine now Don. Can we leave it at that?"

"I could leave it there if I were a lesser Healer, but you know I am not."

Albus heaved a deep sigh. "Sometimes I wish you were. I'm angry, and I want to find the scum who did that to my boy, but I know I can't. I'm also frustrated at myself that I never saw anything and I refused to let Harry stay here for the summer."

"Thank you for telling me Albus. You know that everything will be ok though, and Harry will heal, right?"

"Yes, I know Don and thank you. I just need to blame myself some more, and then I will be fine."

Don gave him a small smile. "I should go and give Severus that potion now. He should be more than ready for it."

Minerva got up as well. "I should be getting going as well. Albus will you accompany me?"

Albus nodded and got up as well. "Thank you again, Don, for everything."

Don just nodded and went towards Severus's room and Minerva, and Albus left through the floo. Opening the door and silently slipping in Don carefully sat on the side of Severus's bed. Gently he woke the man and helped him sit up a bit. He then gently placed the potion vial to the man's face and helped him drink it all down.

"There we go Severus. Try to sleep some more now. I'm going to sleep out on the couch in case Harry has any more nightmares. I want you to get a good nights sleep so you can get better."

Sleepily Severus's nodded already he was half-asleep and had no energy to protest just how Don had planned it. The Healer then gently lowered the boy onto the bed and retreated quickly and quietly from the man's room. As soon as Don was back in the living room he transfigured the couch into a bed and his clothes into pajamas. With one, final sigh he sat down onto the new bed and then got in for what he predicted to be a restless night.


	9. Tests

I'm sorry about all the weird words in the last chapter. Lion has a new auto correct feature, and I can't figure out how to turn it off. It's really becoming annoying and is even correcting words in flash builder! What I type var I mean var, not ver!

Anyway, Thank you for all your reviews! I really do appreciate your pointing out if I make a flub! haha

shadewatcher - I don't know you'll just have to wait and find out. Maybe next chapter I don't know. ;)

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I haven't really thought about that, but I predict when Severus and Harry look at the other photo album that will come up. You never know!

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><p>Don opened his eyes with a sigh. In the next moment, though he was off the transfigured bed and running towards Harry's door as fast as he could. Before he had fallen asleep, he had cast a silencing charm on Harry's door so that if Harry were to wake Severus would not hear. Not only that he had also had cast a monitoring charm on the room so that he would know whether Harry woke up in distress. That way Don could Help Harry through his nightmare and there was no need to worry that Severus would come running in as well.<p>

When the Healer reached Harry's door he flung it open and then quietly closed it behind him. He didn't want to risk waking Severus who desperately needed all the sleep he could get. He then quickly proceeded the boy's bed and expertly untangled the child from his sheets while drawing the child so that he was sitting sideways on his lap. He then uncorked the calming potion that had been placed beside his bed and started to try to gently wake the boy so he could calm him down properly.

"Come on Harry, wake up for me. You're safe here at Hogwarts, and I've got you."

Slowly Harry's eyes opened, but immediately after they did he buried his head in Don's chest and started to sob openly. He hated having these nightmares and how emotionally weak they made him. It felt as if his heart were being ripped out every single time, it was horrible.

"Harry, everything's fine. Can you please look at me so I can give you a calming potion? It will make your chest feel better and slow your breathing down."

As slowly as he could Harry turned his head up to look at Don. To encourage Harry the Healer gave him a warm smile and brushed back a strand of stray hair from his face. He then held the vial to Harry's lips and helped the child drink it down.

"That's it Harry, very good."

As soon as Don removed the vial from the child's lips Harry turned his head back into Don's chest and continued to cry, but this time more controlled. Sensing that Harry just needed kind arms and soothing words the Healer did just that. He placed the vial back down and encircled his arms around the child while whispering small words of comfort in his ear and rocking him back and forth.

When the Healer felt the potion take its full effect and Harry's cries considerably slowed down he gently pulled the child back from his chest and started to wipe away the tears with the washcloth he had silently summoned.

"How are you feeling Harry?"

"I'm...I'm sorry!"

"Hey now. I didn't ask for you to apologize, because there in no need. I was asking you how you feel in here."

Don placed a hand over Harry's heart and gave the boy a gentle look. He then lifted his hand and wiped away the new tears that had fallen onto Harry's cheeks.

"Talk to me Harry."

"Scc...scared."

"What are you scared about Harry? The dream you just had?"

Harry gave a small nod and Don gently readjusted Harry so that his head rested on his shoulder.

"Can you tell me about it Harry? It will feel less scary after you tell me what it was about."

"It's just the same dream I always have."

Gently Don stroked Harry's hair back. "How often do you have this dream?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders as best he could in Don's arms. "I don't know...maybe once a week...more?"

"Ok Harry. Can you tell me what it was about?"

Harry clung to Don a little tighter if possible and buried his head in Don's chest again. Don had thought that was as far as they were going to get, but he then heard a small mumble come from his chest area. Gently Don leaned down and brushed the hair behind Harry's ear.

"I can't hear you Harry. Could you face me while you talk?"

Slowly Harry looked up, but still had his face somewhat hidden in Don's pajamas.

"I...I was really small...and I could hear my dad telling mum to take me and run. Then...there was a...green light in the hallway and a scream...and...and mum she picked me up and hugged me tightly to her chest...I...I...could hear men talking...and...and then there was...the...the same green light...only it was brighter...and mum she screamed...and...and my forehead...it hurt...as we fell to the floor..."

Harry then turned his head and started to cry softly into Don's pajamas again. Gently Don wrapped his arms around the now sobbing child and set his sights on calming him down. He was thankful he had fed the child that calming potion; otherwise, he knew it could have been close to impossible to calm him.

"Shhhh It's all over now Harry and I'm here. I will always be here for you just like Severus."

Harry continued to cry though while Don rubbed soothing circles into his back. Eventually, Harry calmed down and relaxed back into Don's arms.

"How are you now Harry?"

With a few sniffles, Harry looked up at Don and gave a small nod. Gently Don reached down and again wiped away all the tears that had fallen with the still warm washcloth.

"Does that nod mean that you feel a little better?"

Again, Harry gave a small nod and then yawned so wide that Don could see the boy's tonsils. Looking fondly down at the child Don let out a small chuckle.

"I think you're tired. Do you need any help to get back to sleep?"

Slowly Harry shook his head. "No, but...thank you sir."

As Don moved Harry so that he was lying back onto his bed he shook his head slightly.

"I thought we talked about calling me sir already. You don't have to be so formal with me Harry; I'm both your Healer, and friend."

The man then gently tucked the child into his bed and placed both his stuffed toys near by so that he could reach out and hug them if he wanted.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry Harry. Now try to get some rest."

With that Don patted Harry on the arm and started to make his way towards the door, but he was stopped by a small boy grabbing his arm. Looking down at the boy he sat on the edge of his bed and gave Harry a small smile.

"What is it Harry?"

"Can you stay with me...until I fall asleep?"

Don gave a small smile. "Yes Harry, I will. Now, close your eyes and relax, I'm right here."

With that Harry relaxed and pulled the small kneazle to his chest while closing his eyes. Quickly Harry fell into the land of nod.

When the Healer was sure that Harry was fast asleep he established he was all tucked under the covers and then silently left the room shutting the door as he left. Outside the room he rested his head against the door, closed his eyes, and let out the small sigh he had been holding. The poor child remembered. He remembered his parent's murder. Maybe it was time that he started to see _his _Healer again.

Opening his eyes Don let out another sigh. He was definitely making a visit to his Healer sometime soon. As he told his two patients there was no shame in having to ask for help and while he knew he could help his two boys he also knew that he needed to talk to someone to get things off his chest. Earlier it had taken everything in him not to go find that doctor in jail and hex him into oblivion.

Pushing those thoughts away for later Don gently lifted his head from the door and quickly turned to the door next to Harry's room so he could check on Severus. Quietly he opened the man's door and peeked in. Pleased to see the man still sleeping he silently made his way over to the bed, and very lightly he rested his hand on Severus's forehead. Feeling it slightly warm as it should be Don gave a small nod. He then withdrew his hand from the man and confirmed that the man was still sleeping. The last thing he wanted to do was wake the man. When he saw that he was still sleeping he let out a relieved sigh and then quietly left the room closing the door behind him. The Healer then proceeded to his transfigured bed and when he sat on the edge he kicked off his slippers and collapsed onto it exhausted. Curling under the covers Don closed his eyes and was fast asleep in moments.

* * *

><p>The next morning Severus was woken to a gentle shaking. He figured it was Don shaking his shoulder to wake him and when he opened his eyes confirmed what he had assumed. Grumpily Severus closed his eyes and rolled over so that his back was to Don. The Healer just chuckled at the man's antics.<p>

"Come on Severus, you're normally such an early riser!"

Severus groaned, but pulled back the covers and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Yes that is true, but it feels as if I just fell asleep."

"Hmmm, can I do a quick examination?"

Severus heaved a sigh. "If you must."

Don then placed a hand on Severus's forehead and when he felt nothing he moved down to the man's throat to see whether there were any hidden signs of illness. When he felt nothing wrong with his glands he moved down to rest a hand on the man's chest. Still, nothing the Healer looked quizzically at Severus.

"It doesn't seem that you're sick and your fever has gone down. Let me know if you feel any worse or anything strange. I want to monitor you closely to make sure you aren't catching anything."

Severus nodded and got off the bed. "Can I get dressed now?"

"I'll go wake Harry then."

Before the Healer left though, he was stopped by Severus.

"Did he have any more nightmares?"

Looking over his shoulder Don gave him a sad look and nod. "He did, but you shouldn't worry about what it was about."

Severus reluctantly nodded. He knew that if Don didn't want to tell him what had happened then it meant the content was distressing and he didn't want to upset him. With a small sigh Severus did realize that it was probably for the best, but inwardly he didn't like being kept out of the loop.

When Don saw, the nod from Severus he gave his own and closed the door behind him grateful that Severus hadn't pushed him to tell him. The last thing he wanted to do was to tell Severus that Harry remembered how his parents died it might just push the man over the edge.

Sighing again he walked over to Harry's door and quietly entered. He then went over to the boy's bed and gently shook his shoulder in an attempt to wake him. Slowly the boy's eyes opened, and Don gave him a kind smile.

"Good morning Harry."

Shyly Harry smiled up at him. "Is it time to get up?"

"It is. Why don't you get dressed and I'll go order something to eat. Do you want anything special?"

"Can I have some fruit?"

Don gave a small nod. "How about some scrambled eggs and toast to accompany that fruit?"

Harry gave a small nod and smile while Don reached out and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I'll meet you out in the kitchen then."

With that Don backed out of the room and shut the door behind him to give the boy some privacy. He then summoned a house elf and ordered breakfast for the three of them. When the food popped on the table, he went over to the bag he had brought with him last night and removed the potions his boys needed.

While he had been setting the potions before each of their plates Severus had come out of his bedroom and groaned when saw the array of potions before his plate. Don hid a smile and then turned to the man and gave him a scolding look.

"You know they are for your benefit Severus."

Sighing Severus sat down in his seat and downed his potions. As he did so a still sleepy eyed child came out of his room dressed for the day. When Don saw the boy come out of his room he gently patted the seat where Harry next to his.

"Come sit down Harry."

The child nodded and then walked over and sat in his seat. Curiously he looked at the three potions in front of his plate and then up at Don. Two out of the three he recognized as a nutrient potion and a stomach soother, but the third he had never seen before. Could that be the supplement he was supposed to take?

Don sat down in his chair and watched the boy for a few minutes, but then when Harry looked up at him he gave him a small smile and patted him on the arm.

"I'm sure you can recognize two of those. Do you want to tell me what they are?"

Harry looked at the potions and picked up one. "I think this one is a nutrient potion?"

"That is right Harry. What about that other one? Do you know what that is?"

"It's...it's a stomach soother."

"Very good Harry." Don smiled and let a smile grace his face. "What do you think the that other potion is?"

"Is it that calcium thingy you told me about yesterday?"

A snort came from Severus's direction. "Very eloquently put Harry."

Don sent an amused look at Severus and then back to the blushing child. "It is the calcium and vitamin D supplement. Do you think you can take that one first and then the nutrient potion? I brought the stomach soother for after breakfast when we have to go through the floo."

Harry gave a nod in understanding and then took the two vials Don had said to take. Quickly he gulped down the two potions and then grabbed his glass of milk taking a few sips to wash away the bitter taste. Harry then looked up at Don who gave him a small smile.

"Drink your milk now Harry and then eat up. We have a long day ahead of us."

Harry nodded and started to drink his milk so Don focused his sights on his other patient who had just been sitting at the table watching their interactions. He gave the man a knowing look and then gestured down to the food in front of him as to give him a silent stern reminder to eat.

Sighing the man got the hint and picked up his fork to eat some eggs. Don reached out and patted Severus on the hand. When he saw Severus gaze on him, he gave the man a small smile and a nod. His small way of praising the man without Harry taking notice. He didn't want to unnecessarily embarrass the man.

Returning the nod Severus began to eat while Don removed his hand to do the same. The rest of the meal progressed without incident with Harry and Severus clearing every inch of their plates. Even if Severus would never admit it those appetite stimulants really did work.

When the three were finished, Don banished away the plates and sent his two boy's to wash up and grab what they wanted to bring to the clinic while keeping in mind what they had left there.

Just a few minutes later Severus came back into the room with what Don recognized as his journal and another small book that he assumed he was going to give to Harry so that he could write as well. That was good it always helped to write down those feelings you just couldn't discuss. Don had been planing on giving a journal to Harry to write down his thoughts as he had with Severus, but it seemed that Severus had beaten him to it.

"I see you have something there for Harry?"

Severus blushed a little and nodded. "I know it helped me; I thought it might help him as well."

Don just nodded and smiled as Harry came out of his room with just his small black cat in his arms. Both adults looked towards Harry, but it was Severus who spoke.

"Is that all you want to bring Harry?"

Shyly Harry looked down and blushed. "Yes."

Severus then came over and put an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Then, I think we're all ready to go. You just have to take the stomach soother and we'll foo to the clinic."

Harry nodded and accepted the potion Don handed him. As he gulped it down he grimaced ever so slightly at the taste. After handing the vial back to Don, the three made their way towards the floo and flooed over to the clinic.

When they landed Severus caught the child as he stumbled and muttered something about definitely needing lessons making the boy smile. Before going any further though, Don stopped before Harry and knelt down slightly so Harry would not have to look up to look him in the eyes.

"We're going to go to a different room today. Just you and me Harry and we're going to do some mind exercises and see where you are in your studies. Does that sound ok?"

Shyly Harry nodded and grabbed onto the hand Don had extended to him. As the Healer got off the floor, he looked up to Severus.

"You're going to wait here for Minerva?"

Severus nodded and Harry looked up in confusion. Don saw the confused look on Harry's face and gave the small child a smile.

"Your Head of House is coming here to discuss some things with Severus. There is nothing to worry about Harry."

Reassured Harry nodded and Don gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Let's go then."

With, that the two went down the hall and towards where Don would see where Harry was learning wise while Severus stood waiting by the floo for Minerva.

Just ten minutes later the floo flared to life and Minerva stepped out a bit flustered. "Sorry I'm a bit late, Albus decided to ask me about his upcoming classes. I don't know about that man sometimes. I know that he is going to let them goof off the whole day there is no need for him to pretend as if he is going to teach them something. I bet you ten sickels that tomorrow the entire school will know how to turn each others hair different colors, and my Lion's hair will all be green and your Snake's hair will be bright red."

Severus just shook his head and smirked a bit. "Now, you know why I won't let him step foot in my classroom. I'm sure if I did they would end up brewing those darn lemon drops he is forever handing out."

Minerva chuckled at the image in her mind. "Indeed. Did Don and Harry already start?"

Severus slightly shook his head. "No, he just left a few minutes ago to get him settled. He won't start until we get there."

"We should head that way then. How is Harry doing by the way?"

Looking at the witch with a calculating gaze Severus let out a small sigh. "He seems to be doing ok, but he had a nightmare last night, and Don won't tell me what it was about so it must have been pretty bad. Other than that he seems to be adjusting well, at least he's not afraid of Don any more."

Minerva reached out and patted Severus on the arm to offer what little comfort she could. "He will heal Severus; you know it takes time."

With that Severus, just nodded and started to lead the way to the room he knew Don and Harry to be in. When they got there they entered the adjacent room where they could watch the tests Don was giving without interfering or distracting them. Plus they knew that Harry would feel less pressured without people watching him and they all wanted the boy as relaxed as possible.

Sitting down on the couch in front of the one way window Minerva and Severus saw Don standing beside Harry, and they were both looking at a chart of letters on the opposite wall. Next to them it looked as though Harry had placed his small plushy on the table next to the few books, some papers, and two quills. It was a good sigh that Harry felt comfortable enough to set down his toy. This was the first time since Severus had bought that small plushy that Harry had let it out of his line of vision.

As Don gave Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze he slightly turned his head to wink at the window so Severus would know that he knew they were there. He had put a charm on the other room before they had entered this one so that he would know when Severus and Minerva arrived so that they could begin. When Severus saw the wink he leaned forward on the couch a bit and pushed a small button to turn on the speakers so that they could not only see the two they could also hear what was said.

"You see that chart Harry? Can you read the smallest line that you can see for me?"

Harry started to read the fourth line out of the ten clearly and carefully, but was squinting the entire time. As Harry was reading, Don had been watching him closely and saw all the difficulty Harry was having. Sighing a bit he knelt down in front of Harry and gently took off Harry's glasses.

"Why didn't you say you were having trouble seeing?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked down to his feet, but as Harry looked down Don knelt down in front of him, reached out and gently lifted his chin so that he could look nowhere else.

"Look at me Harry. I didn't think this was necessary yesterday, but I'm going to check your eyesight and see how bad your vision is. Ok?"

As best he could with Don holding on to his chin Harry gave a nod.

"You won't feel a thing Harry. I'm going to light up the tip on my wand and look into your eye. I want you to try to keep your eye open as wide as you can and try not to blink. Are you ready?"

As Harry again nodded Don removed his hand from Harry's chin and moved it up to his cheek and gently placed a finger on Harry's eyelid to draw it upwards. He then it the tip of his wand and placed it before Harry's eye. Quietly he whispered a spell that would tell him Harry's true eyesight. A quill and paper popped up beside the Healer and started to write down some numbers. With that eye done Don moved to the other eyes and repeated the process.

When Don was done, he gently removed his hand and picked up the sheet of paper that the quill had been writing on. The quill quickly popped away, and then Don again picked up Harry's glasses that he had laid on the floor. Pointing his wand at them he muttered a charm to correct the lenses and then he handed them back to the child.

"Try these out Harry."

Harry placed the glasses on his nose and looked around in wonder. "Everything's so clear."

Don gave the boy a sad smile and nodded. "These are only temporary the charm I placed on them will ware off. Later on we'll go down to the optometrist here and pick out some new frames. That sound ok?"

Harry nodded still a bit preoccupied by the fact that he could actually see to really hear what Don was saying.

The Healer sent the sheet of paper down the optometrist while getting up off the floor and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Gently he led the child to the table that still had the cat plushy on it and pulled out a chair for him to sit in.

"Have a seat Harry."

Harry sat down, and Don sat in the chair next to him pulling out a book so that it was in front of Harry. This was a unique book that he liked to use in these situations. Every page was a level harder so that he could gage just how well Harry's reading was.

"Ok Harry, can you read this book out loud for me?"

Harry nodded and pulled the book closer so that he could read it. As Harry began to read Don listened carefully for any stumbling or trouble with words. Around the sixth page Harry started to stumble over the larger words and by page eight he was having major difficulty so to stop him Don placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"It's ok Harry; you can stop right there."

Harry looked up at Don nervously. When the Healer saw the nervousness, he just gave the boy a smile and another gentle pat on the arm.

"It's ok Harry. I just want to ask you a few questions about what you just read, ok?"

Harry relaxed a bit and nodded his head.

"Can you tell me what the story you just read was about?"

Harry sat there and thought for a few moments, but then looked up at Don; hopefully. "It was about a boy who..."

Don gently placed a hand on his arm. "Do you remember Harry? It's ok if you don't."

"I'm sorry I can't remember."

"That's ok. Let's try to read it again, but a little slower and tell me when you need help."

Harry nodded and flipped back to the first page and read a little slower. After the third page though Don stopped him.

"Ok Harry. What did you just read?"

"A boy went for a walk in the forest and he saw a bear."

"Very good Harry! Now try to continue with that pace, nice and slow."

Harry nodded and started to read where he left off. This time though he read just a bit slower and seemed to be taking in what he was reading. When he got to where had been having trouble before Don again stopped him.

"For right now that's enough Harry. Can you remember everything you just read?"

"The boy...he...he saw the bear and then...and then he slowly backed away like...like the ranger had told him. When the bear was out of sight, he saw a...moose...and...and he hid behind a tree...like his mother had said he should do..."

"I'm so proud Harry that was really good."

Even though Don was praising the boy, he was inwardly sighing. Harry was only reading at a grade five level when he should be at grade six or seven. Even then that was only if he slowed his reading down considerably or else he was not retaining or comprehending what he had just read. This could be the main reason why Harry was having so much trouble last year in school. A tutor was definitely in order to try to catch him up, and he had the perfect person in mind for the job. Another inward sigh and Don shook those thoughts from his head. He had to focus on the here and now.

"You went to a Muggle day school didn't you?"

"Yes."

"How were your grades at that school?"

Harry looked down and started to fidget with his hands. "Everybody always said I was really stupid. That I couldn't do anything right."

The boy then looked up at Don with determination and tears in his eyes. "But...but that's not true. I...I had to act that way because if I ever got a grade better than Dudley Uncle...he...he would..."

Seeing the imminent breakdown Don placed a hand on Harry's cheek and made the child look at him with his tear filled eyes. "Harry calm down now. You are right. You are not stupid; you are a very bright child. It seems though that your teachers did you a disservice though, and never really tried that hard to see what was wrong and why you were doing so poorly. I want to correct this Harry, I want to ask a good friend of mine, a fellow Healer, if she would tutor you, help with your homework, or anything else you have trouble with. What do you think Harry? Will you let me help you?"

The tears had started to trickle down Harry's face in the middle of Don's little speech, but now they were coming down in streams. Gently Don drew the boy out of his chair and placed him on his lap so that he could hold the child and send some calming magic into him.

Leaning back on his chair Don gently started to rub gentle circles on the distraught boy's back. He had really hoped that this session would not have ended with Harry in tears, but it seemed that he had to throw that hope out the window now. He supposed though that if he could calm Harry down enough that they could at least finish with the testing. Drawing this out another day wouldn't do anyone any good. He still wanted to test his memory, math skills and see where he was with a quill.

One of the boy's sobs brought him out of his thoughts though, and he closed his eyes while resting his chin on Harry's head. Opening his eyes again Don threw a look at the window and mouthed "calming potion" to where he thought Severus was.

"Calm down Harry everything is all right. We just want to help you. Severus will be here in a moment with a calming potion, just try to take deep breaths for me."

A few moments later Severus quickly came in the room with the potion in his hand. As he handed it to Don to feed to the child, he uncorked it for him. Gently Don held the vial to the child's lips and poured it down his throat.

"That's it Harry. Now swallow for me."

Harry gulped down the potion and then turned his head into Don's chest so that neither men could see his tears embarrassed that he was so weak. When Severus saw Harry turn he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Look at me Harry."

Harry turned around and looked at his guardian. Gently Severus reached out and wiped away the tears with his fingers.

"I have to go back to be with Minerva. Are you going to be ok here with Don? Can you finish the tests he has yet to do?"

Harry gave a small nod as Severus removed his hand. The child had stopped his crying as soon as he saw Severus and the potion had kicked in.

"Can you give me a smile before I go so I know you are truly ok?"

Harry flashed a smile at his Professor and made a move to get off Don's lap. Don didn't stop him, but helped him so that Harry was sitting in his own chair again. Severus then patted Harry on the shoulder and made his way to the door. After he left, he shut the door behind him and went back to the other room hating himself every moment as he left his child behind.

When Severus left the room Don gently brushed the hair behind Harry's ear and gave him a smile. "Do you want to play a game Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod so Don removed a special deck of memory cards. This way Don could test Harry's memory without the boy really knowing. Sometimes it was best to disguise a test as a game; it would make Harry feel a little more relaxed.

Don then laid down the cards in a grid like pattern in front of Harry.

"Have you ever played memory before?"

Harry shook his head. "How do I play?"

The Healer explained how to play the game while Harry was staring determinately at the cards. When Don was finished explaining the game Harry started to flip cards over and trying to match the pairs. Don watched and saw what he had expected to see. Harry was doing well, but was having trouble remembering sometimes where the right card lay. He had seen that part on his brain damaged the day before, but this was just another confirmation.

Don sighed and rested a hand on Harry's shoulder more then halfway through the game.

"I'm going to go grab a small snack for you. Are you going to be ok playing memory for a few moments? If you finish this game, you can play another if you want."

"I'll be fine. Can I have some fruit?"

Reaching out to ruffle Harry's hair Don smiled. "I think I can arrange that."

With that Don got up and went to the door. Once outside, he called a house elf and ordered some apple slices and a glass of milk for Harry to munch on. He then went to the door next door and knocked lightly before entering.

When he entered he was met with Severus and Minerva sitting on the couch looking up at him. With a smile, he walked over to the two and sat down on the armrest of the couch.

"Are you two ok?"

Minerva and Severus nodded, but then Minerva spoke. "I'm more concerned about Harry. Why didn't we see why Harry was having so much trouble in school? I mean with his vision I doubt he could read the board!"

Don placed a calming hand on Minerva's shoulder. "You are not at fault here. Teachers at his day school should have seen his troubles and helped him when he was younger. As for his glasses, how could you know when you had to watch all the other students as well?"

Minerva sighed. "I guess you're right. I still can't help, but blame myself for not noticing _anything_ was wrong through."

Don sighed. "I know, but you mustn't beat yourself up too much. What is in the past is in the past and we can't change it now. We can only look to the future."

Minerva nodded, and Don removed his hand from her shoulder. "I have to go and tend to Harry now. Call a house elf or ask a nurse for anything you need."

The two on the couch nodded so Don went to the door and exited the room. Just outside the house elf he had asked for the snacks appeared before him and handed him a tray. Don nodded at the elf and thanked him as he entered the room where he had left Harry.

Quietly closing the door behind him Don smiled when Harry looked up at him. He then strode over to where Harry was at the table and set the tray down in front of the child careful not to disturb any cards.

"Have something to eat and then we'll continue with the tests ok?"

Harry nodded and set down the card he was holding only to pick up the glass of milk and take a few greedy sips. Putting it down on the table Harry looked up at Don.

"Thank you sir; for everything."

Gently Don placed a hand on Harry's arm and smiled at him with a touch of mirth in his eyes. "Is my name sir?"

Blushing Harry looked down. "no..."

Gently Don moved his hand form the boy's arm to his chin and made it so that Harry could look nowhere else.

"I'm just teasing you Harry. Now drink up your milk and then have some apples."

Harry nodded, and Don removed his hand from the boy's face. Harry then took up his glass and started to drink it down. After he was finished, he started in on the apples and just ten minutes later they were all gone.

"Feel better Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod and smiled at the Healer. Don smiled back at the child and reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Are you ready for some more exercises?"

Reluctantly Harry nodded his head. Seeing the reluctance Don pulled his chair a bit closer and faced Harry.

"What are you worrying about Harry?"

Ashamed Harry head dropped to look at his lap, and he started to fiddle with the ends of his shirt with his hands. Gently Don placed a hand on Harry's cheek.

"Talk to me Harry. What's up?"

Letting out a sigh Harry lent into the comforting touch of Don's hand. It was kind of nice that an adult was finally caring how he felt.

"What if I don't have the right answers?"

"There are no right or wrong answers Harry just like the tests we have already done. I just want to make sure you are where you should be with your studies."

"How have I done so far?"

Gently Don patted Harry on the shoulder. "I don't want you to worry about that Harry, but if you really want to know I will tell you."

"Could you tell me please?"

"Harry I want you to listen to everything I say very closely. Nothing today will tell me that you are stupid, because that is not true. Do you understand that?"

Slowly Harry nodded although he didn't quite believe what he was agreeing to. As Harry nodded Don saw the conflict in the child's eyes. With a small sigh Don Placed a hand on Harry's cheek.

"It's ok if you don't believe me, but I hope you will eventually. You are a very smart boy, and nothing can ever tell me different. Your reading was a level lower then where it should be, but with a bit of work we can get you to where you should be. As for the memory game you just did; you did as well as you could. You are doing just fine."

"Are you sure? I'm...I'm not dumb?"

"Yes Harry, I am sure."

Harry gave a small nod. "You mentioned something...about a tutor?"

"Yes, I did. Minerva went through your grades from last year and noticed that you were having some trouble in your classes. This Healer would help you with your homework and make sure you are understanding everything. Many Muggle born students need tutors to help them with the new world they are thrown into, and I'm sorry no one offered you the help last year."

Again Harry nodded. "So...so what else do we have to go over?"

Don removed his hand from Harry's face and gave Harry a gentle smile. "Well, I wanted to do a few math problems and then see whether I could help you at all with writing with a quill. Does that sound ok?"

Harry gave a small nod. "I always liked math."

"Well that's good Harry, math is very important."

Don then pulled out the paper and quill and placed it in front of Harry while he also cleaned up the cards.

"I'm going to write down a few problems, and I want you to try to answer them. Can you do that?"

As Harry nodded his head Don started to write down around twenty simple math problems. Some addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. After writing down the problems, Don again placed the paper in front of Harry.

"Just do as much as you can Harry."

Harry gave a small nod and picked up the quill. Diligently Harry solved and wrote down the answers for all the problems written.

"Very good Harry!"

Don then took the paper and checked to see whether they were correct and when he saw they all were he wrote down a few more difficult problems for the child to try to figure out. Immediately after Don placed that paper back in front of Harry the child quickly solved them.

To be frank Don was impressed. Some of those last problems had been pretty advanced for someone Harry's age.

"I am very impressed Harry. This just further proves that you are a very bright child. Those were some very hard problems."

For the first time since Don had met Harry, the boy's smile grew a mile long and he was practically beaming from the praise. Right then and there Don made a vow to try to praise the child as much as he could just to see that happy smile.

"I've always been good at math. It was the one thing I could be good at and still pretend to be really bad at it."

Don reached out and patted Harry on the shoulder. For the first time, he didn't really know what to say to Harry's statement. It was horrible that Harry had to hide that he was good at something, but then a blessing in disguise that he had actually learned his math.

With a small sigh Don switched to a clean paper and quickly wrote out the alphabet in both upper and lower case. Below each letter, he left a small space for Harry to put his.

"Can you write the alphabet below where I wrote mine Harry?"

Harry nodded and again picked up his quill to write down the letters. Carefully and with a lot concentration Harry wrote each letter as neatly as he could. Don let out a small sigh when he saw the amount of concentration it took for Harry to write just one letter without smudging or dripping ink. When Harry was finished with the upper case letters, Don stopped Harry so that he could help him.

"Harry can I show you a better way to hold the quill?"

Harry gave a small nod, and Don got off the chair and stood behind Harry. Gently he placed his hand on Harry's and showed the child how to hold the quill the right way. He then guided Harry's hand to gracefully write out the letter a. When he was done, he released Harry's hand and patted him on the shoulder.

"Is that better Harry?"

"Much! Thank you!"

Don then watched as Harry wrote the rest of his letters a lot neater and with a to less ink spots. When he was done, he proudly looked up at Don who was still watching over his shoulder and smiled.

"We're still going to have to work on it a bit so that you can write with more ease, but I think this is a huge improvement."

Don then sat back down in the chair next to Harry and moved the boy's chair so that he was facing him.

"You did very well here Harry, and I am so very proud of you."

The Healer then took a quick look at the table to confirm that Severus had indeed left the journal here for Harry. When he saw it, he reached out to pick it up and then handed it to the boy in front of him.

"It seems Severus left something here for you. This is a journal that both Severus and I want you to have so that if you ever need to get something off your chest, but don't want to talk about it you can write it down in here. You don't have to write anything in here if you don't want to or it makes you feel awkward, but I think it would help you feel better."

Running his fingers over the small leather bound book Harry looked up at Don. "This is really for me?"

"Yes Harry and I promise no one will read it without your permission. I can even teach you some privacy charms to make sure no one can even open except for you."

"No one will be able to read it?"

Don just nodded. "Do you want me to show you those charms now?"

Looking down at the book Harry nodded so Don told Harry to place his hand on the cover of the journal and say "abscondo". Harry did as he said and then looked up at Don.

"Did it work?"

"It did Harry. That Journal will now only open to your magical signature and to open it all you have to do is place your hand on it and say 'ostendo sum vestri specialis,' and it will open. The only problem with that is though that anyone looking over your shoulder can still read it. Do you also want to put a charm on it that would allow it took like gibberish to everyone, but you?"

Shyly Harry nodded and Don again told Harry to place his hand on the cover, but this time he had to say "somnium".

"Now if you wanted to show what you wrote to someone all, you would have to do is place your hand on that particular entry and say 'exibeo'. Ok?"

Again Harry nodded. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome Harry. Now if you want I can go call my friend and you can meet her now. We don't have to do this now, but her office happens to be right down the hall."

"If I meet him now can...can we start with the tutoring?"

Don smiled at the eager child. "Why don't you meet her today and then you two can work out a schedule?"

Harry nodded. "Ok"

"I'll be right back then."

With that Don patted Harry on the shoulder and left the room closing the door behind him, Quickly Don went down the hall and knocked on his friend's door.

"Pam?"

The next moment a red haired woman with warm brown eyes opened the door. As soon as she saw it was Don a smile spread across her face.

"Do you want to come in Don?"

Returning the smile to the woman he had a crush on Don sadly shook his head. "I'm afraid I came here on business. I told you about my new patient, Harry. Right?"

Pamela nodded." Yes you did. You need my assistance after all?"

"It seems so." Don then began to explain the results of Harry's tests and what Harry would need. The whole time Pamela just nodded and head, and slowly her warm happy smile turned to a sad one.

"I do whatever I can to help. You said he wanted to meet me now?"

Don gave a small nod. "Yes, if you have time and thank you Pam."

Pamela placed a hand on Don's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You know you don't need to thank me. Come by later though, and tell me more about Harry. I can tell something is weighing heavily on your mind."

Don smiled at the woman in front of him. "I would love take you up on that offer, but I think I should talk to Quin about this."

"That is fine, but I will have a chat with him later to make sure you did go to him. Is that understood?"

Blushing Don nodded. "Please don't worry so much. You know I will."

"I know, but I can help it. Now let's go see that boy and you can talk to Severus and Minerva."

Don nodded, and they both strode down the hallway towards where Harry; Severus and Minerva were.


	10. Hair and Glasses

Sorry I posted so late, but excuses excuses...right? So here you go! Another chapter down!

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - :) You'll see what happens and thank you!

Zarathustra46 - Maybe, maybe not. I don't know... I'm trying a little romance between Don and Pamela, but I don;t know where I'm going with that exactly. I'm not the best with romance and when I've tried in the past it's turned out a little creepy, so if it starts heading down that road I'll probably slowly weed out any romance.

* * *

><p>After Don introduced Pamela to Harry, the Healer stepped out of the room and went next door to see Severus and Minerva. When he entered the room, it was to two people smiling knowingly. Raising his eyebrows slightly Don came over and perched on the armrest of the couch.<p>

As he did so Severus rose an eyebrow. "You like her."

Surprised Don leaned over to turn off the speakers to the next room to hide his shock of where this conversation was going. It was not often that the tables were turned and Severus was prying information out of him, and quite frankly, he didn't like it. Maybe if he could play dumb, the man would back down. At that thought Don inwardly snorted, but tried anyway.

"I don't know what you're talking about Severus."

Minerva gave the Healer a stern look. "Don't play dumb Don. We could clearly see you fancy her. Your eye's light up and sparkle when you look."

When Don did nothing but blush and look down Severus gave him a quizzical look. "So have you asked her out yet?"

At that Don looked up at Severus still red as a cherry. "No Severus I have not. Do you want me to talk about your love life in front of Minerva? There was that one woman a few years ago..."

As Don trailed off Severus looked at him in horror. "Don! That is private!"

A hearty chuckle escaped Don while he looked at the still horrified man on the couch and a dumb struck Minerva. He then looked at Severus solely.

"Have I made my point?"

Slowly Severus came out of his horrified state of mind and nodded his head. He did_ not_ want Minerva to hear about that, it was embarrassing enough that it had happened at all. "Yes Don, you have. Don't think that I will let this drop completely though."

Don sighed He knew Severus wouldn't, but at least it was dropped for now. When Severus had a piece of information he gnawed on it as a dog gnawed on a bone until he had every little painstaking detail. Pushing those thoughts away Don got down to business.

"So moving on to what I wanted to talk to you about when I first came in here. As I told Harry his reading level is not quite up to par with his peers. He can read fast and seems at ease, but he is doing just that. He is not taking the time to take any of information in and retain it. Part of why this is happening is because of the damage on his brain, but it is also because he needs to slow down and process everything. That goes for everything else as well, he needs to slow down a bit and think of what he is doing. He wants to do and complete everything so quickly so to please everyone he is just going through the motions."

Don took a deep breath and verified that Severus and Minerva were listening to him. When he saw that they were he continued with his train of thought.

"As for his math skills, they are quite high. More than I expected given his reading skills. My recommendation is that when he reaches his third year he might want to take Arithmancy, maybe when he catches up with the rest of his year he can even learn some on the side. I think it would make him feel more confident and that could help him do better in his other classes."

Both the adults sitting on the couch nodded, but it was Minerva who spoke first.

"What can we do to help him in classes?"

"Well, Pam will be teaching him techniques to help him understand what he has read. What you can do in the mean time though is if he is reading instructions from the board or a book go over to him and verify that he has read it slowly and understood what it said and what he had to do. This could be why he was having such difficulty in potions; he never took in the instructions correctly."

Again Minerva and Severus nodded. When the Healer saw both nods he continued.

"Do you two think it would be ok for Pam to come by Hogwarts for an hour after school ends everyday? That way she can work with him on catching up to where everyone else is and then help him with his current homework."

Minerva gave a nod. "There is a room off the Gryffindor common room that would be perfect for them. Maybe we should even start a general study group for all the students. I know Hermione Granger practically begged me all last year to start an official one."

Don nodded. "So you think Harry should go back to classes on Monday?"

As he asked his question he looked at Severus, really wanting to know what the man thought of Harry headed back to class. While Don had spent a great amount of time with the child, Severus had been there when he had not and felt that the man had a greater gage of if the child were ready or not.

Severus looked at Don and nodded. "I think trying to get him back to a normal schedule sooner rather than later would be better, but we should leave the decision up to him and how he feels. I don't want to push him into something he is not ready for, and I don't want to keep him at home if he is ready."

Don nodded. He had thought that was what Severus would say, and he was glad that he had. Although Harry was still just a child, it was good for him to stand up and say what he felt and make some decisions on his own. It would help him feel as if he had more control over his life and what happened.

"I agree Severus. Now, it looks as though Pam and Harry are finishing up. We should go and see them, don't you think?"

Both nodded and followed Don's example of getting off the couch and as the Healer left the room they both followed him through the door. When they were in front of the room adjacent to the one the had just left Don gently knocked on the door.

Pam was the one who answered the door and Minerva leaned over slightly to whisper something in Severus's ear. The man chuckled slightly causing Don to turn to the two to give them a stern look, but then turned back to the woman and boy and smile. He had some idea of what Minerva had told Severus and thought it was probably for the best if he didn't know whether he was right.

The witch who opened the door first returned Don's smile, but then looked down at Harry and placed a tender hand on his shoulder.

"So Harry what do you think of our plan?"

Harry gave a shy nod, and Pam gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze as to comfort him. "Do you want to ask them what you asked me?"

Harry blushed a bit and shuffled his shoe on the floor while looking down. "When am I going back to classes?"

Don looked at Severus who nodded. The man then knelt down before Harry and placed a gentle hand on the boy's chin making him look up into his eyes.

"That is your choice Harry. It all depends on how you feel. If you want to go back to school on Monday morning then you can, or you can wait a week so you can rest a bit. This decision does not effect the room you have in my quarters though that is there for you always. You can still go to class and then come back home at night if you wish, or you can go back to the dorms to sleep. Either way that room will be there for you forever. Do you understand?"

Severus released Harry's chin and the boy launched himself at the man. After a minute Severus overcame his shock and wrapped his arms around the child and held him close. He had not expected Harry to react that way, if anything he though Harry would just nod.

"There, there Harry. Everything is fine."

The boy just held Severus a bit closer, and the man could feel Harry as he started to shake a little. When Severus felt the silent sobs wrack the boy's body he managed to peel the child back from his chest a bit.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Harry raised an arm to wipe his tears on his sleeve, but Severus stopped him with a gentle hand and fished out a handkerchief from his pocket to stuff it into Harry's hand.

"Use this instead Harry there is no need to soil your new clothes and then please tell me what that matter is."

Harry did as he was told and wiped the tears from his face. When he was finished, he shyly looked down at his shoes and played with the now wet handkerchief in his hands.

"I'm sorry sir..."

As Harry trailed off Severus placed a gentle hand on Harry's cheek and Harry lent into the touch just a bit.

"That's not what I asked for Harry. I only want to know why you are upset."

"I'm...I'm not upset. It's just I've never had somewhere where I've been wanted...and you...you really want me..."

Severus pulled Harry back into his arms as the boy started to cry again.

"Oh Harry."

Gently Severus scooped Harry up into his arms as his knees were starting to hurt and turned to look at Minerva and Don. Minerva was just smiling at the two, and Pamela had come around to stand next to Don who was giving Severus an approving look.

Turning his head slightly Severus leaned over to talk into Harry's ear gently. "Why don't we go have a little something to eat and then rest a bit?" He then looked up at Don who nodded and moved out of the way for Severus to move towards their room.

As the four still in the hallway watched as Severus and Harry left Minerva turned to Don slightly.

"Is that really the same Severus who just last week was cursing the boy's very existence?"

Still, watching Severus's back retreat down the hall Don nodded. "It is indeed."

Pamela draped an arm around Don's shoulder, and the Healer blushed slightly as she leaned over to whisper in his ear. "You may be able to fool Minerva, but I can hear the hint of sadness in your voice. You are talking to Quin tonight before you blast those muggles into oblivion. Do you hear me?"

Don just nodded unable to contain his blush quite yet.

"Oh, and will you finally take me up on dinner?"

That made Don's head turn to look at Pamela. "Tomorrow? I have to meet with the Minister tonight."

Pamela smiled at Don. "Only if you don't land yourself in jail. I know that the muggles are in custody at the Ministry, and you're going to ask to speak with them. Please don't do anything stupid."

"I promise won't. I spoke with Albus this morning, and he promised to come with me and assure I don't do anything...violent. He even offered to keep my wand for safekeeping while we are there so I am not tempted, and I think I will take him up on that just to be safe."

Pamela just nodded as Minerva looked on curiously. Having the hearing of a cat sometimes payed off as she had heard that entire conversation even though it was in low, hushed voices.

Piping up she looked at Don. "Can I come as well? I have a few words to say to those horrid people."

Looking between Don and Minerva Pam sighed and then moved over closer to Minerva and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder to send her a touch of calming magic. It would not do if she became too upset right now.

"Minerva how about I show you some techniques to help Harry with his schoolwork while Don goes to the Ministry? That way I won't be alone while I eat dinner since this oaf won't join me."

Still looking at Don Minerva sighed defeated. "Ok that sounds fine. Try to throw a hex at them for me though."

Don chuckled. "If I could I would, but I doubt Albus will let me and that's probably a good thing."

Slowly Minerva nodded, and again Pam took control of the situation. "We should probably follow those two don't you think?"

Both Don and Minerva nodded and the three began to follow to where Severus had carried Harry.

* * *

><p>As soon as Severus and Harry arrived in their room Severus put the still weeping boy on the bed while he sat next to him. Calmly the man kept an arm around Harry and continued whispering soothing words to the boy until the crying turned into small sniffles. He figured this little outburst might not have only be due to Harry's overwhelming emotions of acceptance, but he could tell it was also because the boy was overtired. It had been a very long morning.<p>

When Harry pulled up the handkerchief to wipe away the new tears that had fallen Severus stopped him and summoned a warm washcloth instead to wipe them away himself. The handkerchief was wet and cold and he had a feeling that it would irritate the boy's skin instead of soothe it. Carefully as the tears were dried two, trays of food appeared on the bed across form them.

Severus saw the food appear on the bed and let a small smile grace his face as he spotted Don peeking around the corner of the doorway. More than likely the Healer was trying to give them some sense of privacy while he watched over them. Shaking his head slightly in amusement Severus got up off the bed and grabbed a tray so that he could place it on the boy's lap.

"Have some yogurt Harry and then eat the rest of your lunch. Ok?"

Harry gave a slight nod and then picked up his spoon to start eating. Severus then went to his own bed and placed his own tray on his lap as Don came in followed by both Pam and Minerva. Rolling his eyes slightly at the look Don gave him Severus shoved a bite of food into his mouth to try to please the Healer.

Amused by Severus's antics Don smiled, but then came, and sat down next to the man. Gently Don placed a hand on his forehead and frowned a bit when he felt the fever he had thought to have gotten rid of.

Silently Don caught Minerva's eye and pointed her to proceed to Harry with a slight motion of his head. He wanted to check over Severus, but he would prefer if Harry were preoccupied. The witch caught the meaning of his gesture and quickly went over to occupy Harry while Pam came over and sat on Severus's other side.

The man dressed in black who was now between the two Healers sighed when Pam removed the tray of food from his lap. If they weren't forcing food down his throat that meant that something was wrong. The next moment Pam had a hand on his forehead and was frowning as well. While Pamela was feeling his forehead, Don had removed a thermometer from the side table. When Severus saw the thermometer coming towards his mouth he groaned, loudly.

Don patient as ever just held it in front of the man's face. "You know the drill. Open up Severus."

If looks could kill Don would have been six feet under with the look Severus sent him. With a few more glares and gentle prodding from Don, Severus reluctantly opened his mouth and let the Healer put the cold glass tube under his tongue as Pamela removed her hand rom his head. A few minutes later Don removed the glass instrument, and his frown deepened. Quietly Don gestured for Pam to get up from the bed, and then he gently pushed Severus down so he was lying on the bed.

When Severus was fully down onto the bed Don looked down at his patient quizzically.

"Are you not feeling well Severus?"

"I feel fine Don. I don't know why you're making such a fuss over nothing."

Don frowned at Severus. The man was obviously hiding something. "Your health is not nothing Severus. I'm going to do a full scan because it is quite obvious I missed something last night. Unless you want to tell me something?"

Looking away Severus grumbled something under his breath. Don sighed and stole a glance at Pamela who gave him an understanding look. He then turned back to Severus and grabbed the pajama from the side table. Handing it to Severus he started to pull the curtains around the bed.

"You can change back into your clothing after your exam if that makes you feel better, but you might want to have a nap like Harry. It would do you some good."

Severus sighed as Don pulled the curtains closed completely. If only Don weren't such a good healer maybe he wouldn't have noticed his temperature. He would have gotten better; eventually. With that thought Severus started to undress and put on his pajamas. As soon as he was changed, he pulled back the covers and quickly hid his legs under them. He really hated being sick and fussed over.

Just a few moments later Don had pulled back the curtains to slip in, but closed them again behind him. Looking sadly at the man in front of him Don came over and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I think you know why you have a fever Severus. Do you want to tell me why or would you like me to find out the hard way? Either way I will find out."

Severus sighed. "My chest is congested, and there is probably an infection."

Nodding Don got up from the bed. "Thank you for telling me Severus. Let's see whether we can make you feel better."

Slightly nodding his head Severus started to unbutton his top. As Severus did so Don turned to the small table that was inside the curtains and grabbed the mucus cream and placed in next to Severus on the bed. When all the buttons were undone Don gently placed both hands on his patients chest and started to scan his lungs to see what was wrong.

"Take a deep breath Severus."

As Severus did so Don frowned at all the fluid he felt running through the lungs. The Healer then sighed as he pulled a stethoscope from the side table and put the two ear pieces in place. Putting the other end on Severus's chest the man jumped a bit at the coldness.

Don gave the man an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Severus. When I hold up my finger I want you to take a slow deep breath, ok Severus?"

When Don saw the man nod he raised his finger and Severus took a deep breath. They continued with that for a few more breaths, and then Don took the instrument from his ears. Placing it down on the table next to him he picked up the mucus cream that he had set on the bed and unscrewed the lid.

When Severus saw that jar he cringed and wrinkled his nose dramatically. "Is there any other way?"

Don shook his nose while taking some of the cream onto his fingers. "You know this is the best for getting all that stuff up. You will feel much better afterword."

"But it smells!"

Chuckling Don nodded while he gently began to apply it to Severus's chest. I know it does, but it really is the best for getting everything up."

As Don was talking, he finished applying the cream to Severus's chest. As soon as he was finished he quickly helped Severus sit up as he started to cough up all the crud that had been in his lungs. Summoning a handkerchief Don held it up for the man to take and then patted him heavily on the back to help everything come up and out of him.

Ten minutes passed of the Healer helping Severus cough up everything that was in his lungs. When Severus had coughed up his last cough he had tears in his eyes as he collapsed back on the bed. Slowly Don reached out placing a glass of water in front of the man's mouth.

"Take some slow sips for me Severus."

Severus did as Don told him and greedily sipped the water offered to him. Reaching down while Severus was sipping the water the Healer gently began to button Severus's top back up.

As soon as they were both done Don took the glass from Severus's hand and grabbed the tray Pam had set aside earlier. Thankful for her status charm Don carefully placed the tray on Severus's lap so he could eat.

"Now, I want to see at least half of this soup and at least a quarter of that sandwich gone by the time I come back. Understood? As for your further treatment for this chest infection you seem to have gotten I want to give you two more rounds of that cream and a fever reducer every three hours."

Severus nodded, but gave his food a sour look. "At least half?"

"Yes, do you need an appetite stimulant?"

Sighing Severus nodded. "Yes please."

"Thank you for asking nicely Severus." As Don thanked the potion master he removed the potion he wanted to give to the man and handed it to him.

Severus took the vial and drank the whole thing down in one gulp and then nodded his head in thanks. When Don saw the nod, he accepted the vial back from Severus and then pulled the curtains away from the bed.

"I would like you to rest some after you eat Severus." Don then gestured with his head to the bed next to his with a sleeping Harry on it. "It seems Harry has already beaten you."

Reluctantly Severus nodded and started to eat his food as the potion had just kicked in. Smiling at Severus Don pulled the curtains back all the way and spotted where the two witches were quietly talking to one another.

Leaving Severus with a small pat on the hand Don came over to the two by the bathroom door, just far enough so that it would not disturb either patient. As soon as he came close enough that he could hear them they turned their heads and looked at him worriedly.

Smiling at both of them Don came and placed a calming hand on Minerva's shoulder as she seemed more upset.

"As you two can see Severus is fine. There is no need to worry."

Pam sighed while she looked at Don. "It's not Severus that we are worried about; we knew he was and is in good care. Harry was calling out in his sleep."

Sighing Don nodded while he removed his hand from Minerva's shoulder. "What did he say?"

Minerva looked as if she wanted to tell him, but was clearly to chocked up with emotion to respond so Pam spoke for her. "He was calling out for his mother."

Don let out a deep long breath, and his shoulders slumped down. "He dreamt about them last night, about that night..."

Minerva placed a hand over her mouth while Pam sent some calming magic into her.

"Oh Harry."

The witch let Pamela calm her down a bit, and then she took a few deep, calming breaths. "Does Severus know?"

Slowly Don shook his head. "I didn't want to upset him. I think this is the one piece of information that if he does not specifiably ask about it that it is ok the keep it to ourselves."

Both witches nodded in agreement while Don turned to look specifically at Minerva and gave her a warm smile.

"Do you feel up to making the trip back to Hogwarts by yourself or do you want me to call Albus?"

"Can you call Albus for me?"

Don nodded and started to head out of the room towards the floo while Pamela steered Minerva to a chair so she could sit for a few moments. When Minerva sat down, she slumped back into the chair clearly exhausted.

"You ok there Minerva?"

Slowly Minerva gave a nod. "Yes, I guess I'm finally just taking everything in. My poor little lion."

Pamela nodded and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to send her a bit more calming magic. "That's understandable, you are just recovering the shock and are now feeling the effects of everything that has happened."

Just a few moments later Albus came in the room and when he spotted Minerva he strode over and smiled at the woman tenderly.

"I canceled all your classes for the rest of the day. Don't worry I won't be teaching any more students how to transfigure their vegetables into cake."

Minerva just shook her head. "You're impossible Albus."

"I know my dear, that's part of my charm!"

Minerva sighed and shook her head slightly in amusement as she got out of her chair. Albus saw the glimmer of sadness in her even though she was acting amused. Gently Albus drew her close to him and embraced her in a hug. It was clear the woman needed some comfort.

Quietly he whispered in her ear, "It will be ok Minerva."

Seeing that the two needed a bit of privacy Don made a gesture towards Harry's bed with his head so that Pamela saw. Silently Pam nodded and followed her dear friend away from the hugging duo.

With the two healers out of ear shot Albus again whispered into Minerva's ear. "You can let it go now dear. I'm the only one here, and I have you."

The stern Professor's shoulders then began to shake in silent sobs, and Albus held onto her as tears wet his robes. He knew just how much it hurt this woman to find out that the child she thought as a grandchild was mistreated. She had been in such shock before that she just could not show emotions, but now the shock was gone, and everything was hitting her full force.

Gently Albus just held the woman as she let everything go. Rubbing soothing circled on her back and whispering those small words of comfort in her ear. Eventually, Minerva's shoulders stopped shaking and she pulled back a bit from Albus's face wiping the last of the tears away.

When Albus saw her do so he gently grabbed her hand to stop her and wiped them away himself.

"Do you feel better now?"

Slowly Minerva nodded. "Thank you Albus."

The Headmaster nodded his head still smiling at her. "Are you ready to go back to Hogwarts then? You can rest for the afternoon if you want. In fact, I think it would be for the best."

Slightly Minerva nodded as she fully detached herself from Albus. Smiling Albus patted her on the shoulder and nodded to the two Healers who were still keeping their distance so they could have a bit of privacy. First walking over to the two near Harry, both Albus, and Minerva said their goodbyes and then quietly left the room to go back home.

With them gone Pamela turned to Don and smiled. "I should take my leave as well. Do you have everything under control?"

Slowly Don nodded. "Thank you for all your help."

Smiling Pam reached up and placed a kiss on the man's cheek making him blush red as a tomato. "Call me if you need anything and no getting yourself into trouble tonight. I don't want to have dinner with you in Azkaban. Understand?"

Still blushing Don nodded while Pamela was sending him a scolding look. The witch then smiled and leaned in to place another kiss and whisper in his ear.

"I do love you Don, and I will wait for you as long as it takes."

She then pulled back and with one last smile left the room. Sitting on the edge of Harry's bed Don placed his hot blushing face in his sweaty hands. He didn't quite understand why he always got so embarrassed and clammed up when it came to Pamela. It's not as if they had just met, they had known each other for years now and have had the same feelings for one another since they met. Sighing Don lifted his head up and looked over at Harry who was sleeping peacefully.

The boy really was a sweet child. He was lying in bed in his pajamas hugging that small plushy tight to his chest. Getting up from the edge of the bed Don walked up to where Harry was and gently pulled the covers up so that they were just below his chin. As he did so Harry whimpered slightly in his sleep and hugged the stuffed toy a little closer to him. Not wanting to disturb his sleep any further Don smiled at him and then quietly left Harry in peace.

He then walked over to Severus who had just finished the required amount of food on his plate. Gently he removed the tray from the yawning man's lap and banished it to the kitchens. Don then sat down on the side of Severus's bed and placed a gentle hand on the man's forehead and felt the same fever that had been there before. When he confirmed that Severus needed a ever reducer he reached over and grabbed the vial he had placed next to the bed. He then uncorked it and handed it to Severus to drink down.

Scowling Severus accepted the potion vial and grimaced as he drank it down. It really was a shame that you couldn't add flavoring to potions as they did muggle medicine. It would mess with the potency and give side effects to the person who took the potion. Maybe somehow he could naturally laver them though instead of adding synthetic flavoring? There was a chance that could work...

Don watched as all those thoughts flew through Severus eyes and smiled. Sometimes that man was easy to read as a book at least when it came to when he was thinking of potion at least. He always had that calculating, fascinated look on his face when he thought of new ways to mix potions together to make them work better. It always amused Don because Severus was such an accomplished Occlumenest, but when it came to potions he could never hide the joy and wonder from his eyes.

Shaking out of his thoughts Don patted the dower man on the shoulder to shake him out of _his_ thoughts. "Why don't you get some rest Severus? It will help you get better faster."

Severus nodded sinking back onto his pillows. When he was fully lying down though Severus didn't close his eyes and Don smiled at him with a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"Do you want me to summon Hissy so you can sleep better? I know he always made you feel better when you were smaller."

The glare Severus sent him was so dark that Don actually felt chills go down his back. It was worth it though when he saw the man blush from the tip of his nose all the way down to his toes. When he saw that blush he could not help, but let out a hearty chuckle making Severus blush all the more. Don then calmed down though, and gently patted the man on the shoulder.

"I'm just teasing you Severus. I know you wouldn't be caught dead sleeping with that poor lonely stuffed snake that still sits on your bookshelf."

Still blushing Severus looked down at his lap. "No I would not."

Still smiling Don patted Severus on the shoulder. "I know, just relax now and try to sleep some. Do you need some help getting to sleep?"

Slowly Severus nodded. "Yes please."

Nodding Don placed a hand on Severus's chest and started to send enough calming magic into Severus to put him asleep. Slowly Severus's closed his eyes and let the magic take over his body. When he was fully relaxed and snoring a bit Don smiled and then removed his hand stopping the magic flow.

Then, tucking in Severus completely so that the covers were just below his chin Don brushed all the stray hairs from his face.

"Good night Severus."

With that Severus, quietly left the room so his two boy's could get some sleep.

* * *

><p>A little over and hour and a half passed before Severus woke again. Coughing violently he found himself sitting up and wrapped in strong arms he knew to be Don's. The Healer must have put a monitoring charm on him so that he would know when he woke. In the next moment Severus felt a vial of something pressed to his lips. Between the hacking coughs Severus gulped it down and felt his chest loosen up and then everything that was in his lungs come up in the next few minutes. All the while those strong arms were holding him upright to keep him from toppling over.<p>

When the coughing fit was over Severus fell completely back into Don's arms exhausted. Realizing what he was doing though his body went ridged, and he tried to free his Healer from his burden the strong arms though just kept holding him and he finally heard what the man was telling him.

"Just relax Severus. I've got you."

Too tired to do any more Severus did as Don bid and relaxed as the Healer slowly lowered him onto the bed. Gently Don then placed a hand on his forehead and felt the small temperature that still resided there. Grabbing a potion from the bedside table Don carefully fed it to Severus and then grabbed for the jar of cream, but left it where it was sitting. He silently decided that the poor man on the bed had coughed up enough at the moment.

"Close your eyes Severus and rest a bit more. I'll take Harry down for his new glasses and entertain him for a while so you can rest. Maybe even take him for a small haircut."

Slowly Severus nodded as his eyes closed. Other times he would protest at being left to sleep in bed, but at this moment he was just so tired and if he were truthful he felt like absolute crap.

As the man slowly drifted off to sleep Don tucked him in and then turned to the now awake child on the other bed. The poor child was looking at Severus as if he were going to die at any moment. Don felt his heart leap a little in sympathy and then quickly proceeded over to Harry to soothe his fears.

Sitting down next to where Harry was clutching his stuffed toy so close to his chest that if the thing were alive, it would be suffocating. The Healer gently repositioned Harry so that he was now sitting sideways on his lap.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Don knew perfectly well what was wrong, Severus looked like death, but he wanted Harry to tell him that. Harry had started to open up a bit to him earlier, and he wanted to continue that trend. It was healthy for the boy to talk about what frightened him.

"Is...is Professor Snape ok?"

Giving the child a sad smile Don nodded. Severus had told him that he had asked Harry to call him by his first name, but it seemed that Harry was not quite comfortable with that yet. Sighing he supposed that would take time as well.

"He's going to be fine Harry. He has a touch of a chest infection, but with a lot of rest today he should be fine tomorrow. That is the beauty of magic if we were muggle Severus would be sick for at least a week before getting better."

As he was talking, Don was watching Harry closely and relaxed a little as he saw the child accept his words. Don then reached over to where he had folded the boy's clothes and placed them on the boy's lap.

"Why don't you go get changed Harry and we can go get your new glasses. How does that sound?"

Taking the clothing from Don Harry looked up at him. "Will...Professor Snape be ok if we leave him by himself?"

Smiling at the boy's concern Don nodded. "He will be fine Harry. I have a monitoring charm on him so I will know whether he wakes up or anything else."

Reassured Harry nodded and started to slip down from Don's lap. The child then quietly padded over to the bathroom in his slippers, and Don got off the bed to make it up. He didn't really have to make the bed, but it gave his mind a chance to do something without really thinking about it's task.

Just a few minutes later the bed was made, and Harry was looking at him from the doorway of the bathroom. Smiling at Harry he came over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders and started to lead him out of the room. As Don did so he noticed that the small plushy that had followed him everywhere he went yesterday was still on his bed. Smiling Don was glad that Harry was feeling comfortable enough to leave behind the small toy.

With that thought, the two left the room and started to walk down the hallway and down the stairs to where Harry would get his new glasses. When they reached, the room Don spotted the Healer he was looking for and gave him a smile.

Smiling at Don the Healer then looked down with his half moon glasses smiling at the small child. "Any you must be Harry. I have your prescription in the back, while I go get it why don't you and Don pick out some frames."

The optometrist then turned to go look for the paper Don had sent him earlier, and Don steered Harry towards a shelf of glasses.

"Pick some out Harry and try them on."

Harry just stood there in front of the large shelf of glasses though looking at each one. When a few minutes passed and Harry had done nothing Don placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Do you see any you like?"

Harry nodded, but continue to stare at them all. Sighing Don turned Harry slightly so that he could look him in the face.

"Then what's wrong Harry?"

Shuffling his feet Harry looked down. "There are no prices."

Understanding the problem Don knelt down before the boy and placed a hand on his chin lifting it up so that he could look into his eyes.

"Don't worry about that Harry. Severus and I have that all covered. You just pick out something that you like. Ok?"

Still shuffling his feet on the floor Harry gave a hesitant nod. "Aunt...Aunt Petunia said that glasses are expensive though, and that's why she got mine from the rubbish bin. I don't want to be a burden."

Don sighed and cursed that woman again. How dare she retrieve his glasses from the garbage! Tonight, he was definitely going to have a word with that woman."

"You are not a burden Harry and never will be. We _want _to get you nice glasses that you are happy with. Now pick some out and try them on."

When Don released Harry's chin the child nodded defeated. He then went over to the glasses self and took down a pare of gold wire oval shape glasses and replaced his old ones with those.

Stunned by how differed Harry looked in those glasses Don was silent when Harry turned to look at him. Those glasses where the ones to go with. They made the boy's green eyes pop and settled perfectly on his face.

Don the shook himself out of his shock like state when he saw Harry starting to look nervous. Smiling Don nodded at the boy.

"I think you picked out the perfect pair Harry. Those make you look quite handsome, and I know Severus will love them."

Harry gave Don a smile that stretched from ear to ear at his comment and then turned to look in the mirror. Sadly though with his bad vision though all he could see was a blurry version of himself looking back at himself.

When Don saw the smile falter Don placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"How about we put your prescription in these frames and then you can see for yourself how dashing you look?"

Slowly Harry nodded and took the new glasses off his nose and handed them over to Don who in turn gave them to the optometrist to get the lenses in them. While Harry had put on his old glasses, the eye Healer gave him a smile.

"I'll be right back with these all ready for you. Ok?"

Harry nodded and the two Healers discussed what extra charms should be placed on the frames and lenses. Such as an unbreakable charm, a waterproof charm, a growth charm for if/when Harry face started to change and a glare charm so that the sun would never interfere with what he could see.

With all that sorted out the optometrist carried the frames into the back and mere moments later came back with the new glasses all ready. Carefully he handed them to Harry when came close enough and then took the old glasses Harry gave him as he took those off.

Gently Harry placed his new glasses on and looked around in wonder. These were even better than the glasses Don had charmed for him. To his dismay, though he noticed that they were a bit loose on his face and kept sliding off.

As soon as the optometrist saw though he just motioned Harry to hand the glasses back to him. Harry though didn't understand and just stood there until the eye Healer smiled at him and tried to explain.

"I just want to adjust them Harry, so they don't keep slipping off your nose. Could you hand them to me?"

Understanding Harry handed the glasses to the Healers and watched with blurry awe at the golden light the Healer produced to do the adjustment. When he was done, the optometrist handed the glasses back to the boy, and Harry quickly put them on and was pleasantly surprised that they now fit perfect.

Giving the optometrist a shy smile Harry thanked him and then grabbed the hand Don was extending to him. Don said his goodbyes and silently whispered to add the glasses to his tab, and he would take care of paying later.

With that the two left the small office and Don turned to look at Harry.

"I think it might be time for a haircut. What do you think?"

As Harry brushed the hair out of his face he nodded. "I think I need one."

Don nodded and took hold of Harry's hand to lead the boy down a few doors where they had a small room where the clinic had a hair salon. Yes, it was mainly for woman who liked to have their hair done on a regular basis while they stayed here, but he figured that they could handle a small trim and Harry might actually feel more comfortable among woman then men.

Walking into the room a woman came over and smiled at the two and the looked down at Harry's messy mop of hair. "Need a trim?"

Both Don and Harry nodded making the woman chuckle. "I think we can arrange that. Come over here and have a seat."

Harry nodded, and Don followed as Harry hopped in the chair the woman had pointed to. The Hairdresser then placed a cloth around Harry's neck and started to wet Harry's hair with a spray bottle.

As the woman was tending to Harry's hair Don came and sat in the chair next to them so he could be close to Harry. Turning his head slightly Harry sent a grateful look at the Healer. It was nice to have his calming presence so near.

The woman then began to carefully trim the boy's hair and try to calm it at least a little. Ten minutes later Harry's hair was two inches shorter and much neater. As soon as the woman cast a drying charm on his hair though Harry's hair decided to stick up in all directions as it was before they walked in.

When Harry felt, his hair stick up he just shrugged his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll never get it to stay down."

Sighing the woman nodded in defeat. "At least, it's shorter right?"

Harry nodded as the woman took away the sheet from his neck and then hopped down when it was completely gone. Giving the woman a grateful nod Don thanked her and grabbed Harry's hand again.

As they walked out of the small hair place Don looked down at Harry.

"What would you like to do now Harry?"

Shyly Harry looked down at his shoes, but then he gained enough courage to look up at Don and ask what he wanted.

"Can we take a walk in the garden? I would like to see it with my new glasses."

Don smiled, heartened that Harry was slowly overcoming his fear of looking at people when he asked a question. "Yes Harry; of course. Maybe I can tell you some more of where Severus stays in the summers."

Grabbing onto Don's hand Harry happily nodded. "I would like that."


	11. Puzzles

For some reason this chapter was hard to write, but it's here and done now!

LunaBeth203 - I'm sorry, but it seems Don is taken.

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I plan to go into a bit more detail about Severus in the next couple of chapters. Specially when I get to the next photo album book Severus has yet to share.

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><p>Walking out into the garden Don started to tell Harry all about Albus's manor where Severus stayed in the summertime. Yes, Severus had a manor in Spinners End, but that place brought memories that Severus rather not deal with. He had grown up in that house up until he was fourteen when his mother had died, and Albus had found out what had been happening in his home. Ever since he has lived with Albus and he still could not imagine living without the man near by. Albus paired with Don had always been there for him through everything and if he were truthful he just didn't feel ready to part with their consent presence and support no matter how annoying they could be at times.<p>

Don was rather glad that Severus still lived with Albus, it made his life just a bit easier. It meant that Albus could take care of his daily potions and confirm he was taking care of himself. When the school year came though and Severus moved down to his own rooms in the dungeons it became somewhat of an uphill battle to keep a close eye on the man. They had tried to let Severus take more control over his potions and eating habits this year in an attempt that Severus could do it on his own, but that had not panned out.

After those few moments of silence where Don's thoughts had wondered, the Healer refocused on the small boy walking next to him and started to tell him of all the wonderful things his new summer home offered.

"You will love living with Severus and the Headmaster Harry. The house they live in has a very large garden around it and Severus even has a few greenhouses he keeps plants in."

Shyly Harry looked up and gave Don a sideways glance. "Professor Snape lives with the Headmaster?"

Letting out a small sigh Don nodded. Apparently, Severus had not talked to Harry about their summer arrangements yet, but then when could he so much had happened in such a short amount of time.

"Yes Harry, he does. Is that ok with you?"

Slowly Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Will...will the Headmaster want me there?"

Gently Don removed his hand from Harry's and moved his arm to rest it on Harry's shoulders as they continued to walk through the gardens.

"Did you know it was the Headmaster who helped Severus gain guardianship of you?"

"I guess so. I mean he's been really nice and he taught me to tie my shoes, but does he really want a freak living in his house?"

Don stopped walking when he heard what Harry thought of himself and turned Harry so that he was facing him. All the while raising the boy's chin with his hand so that he could only look into his eyes.

"Listen to me Harry. You are not a freak, and I don't want to hear you call yourself that again. Ok?"

Slowly Harry nodded, but anyone passing by could tell that in his heart he didn't really believe what he was agreeing to. The Healer sighed as he released Harry's chin. He had to keep reminding himself that it was going to take time. Eventually, though the child would believe them. Taking another deep breath Don continued.

"You are a very sweet child Harry, and I know the Headmaster is very excited to have you in his home. He even pulled me aside the other day to see if I knew how you would like your room set up, although that was supposed to be surprise. Don't let him know you know, ok?"

Don winked at Harry and the boy gave a soft smile and nod. The Healer then found himself wrapping his arms around the boy as he had attached himself to his side. Harry then pulled back and with a few tears in his eyes smiled up at the man.

"Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me Harry, but is there anything you would like me to tell Albus? What would you like your room to look like?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he detached himself from Don. "I...I don't know. The only room I really had was the one Professor Snape gave me."

Don nodded and was grateful that there was a bench near by. Gently guiding Harry over to sit down on the concrete bench the Healer gave the boy a soft smile. As soon as they sat down Don faced the child and patted his shoulder kindly.

"Ok, so what's your favorite color?"

Harry slightly shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know...I guess I like blue."

Giving a slight nod Don continued with his train of thought.

"So would you like to paint the walls blue?"

Looking up at Don Harry gave an eager nod and leaned slightly into his side. "Could my bed be dark blue?"

Wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders Don gave a nod glad that Harry was finally asserting what he wanted. "Yes Harry. Is there anything else you would like?"

"I don't know."

"Ok, let's see what else. Would you like a desk in your room?"

Harry gave a small nod and Don continued.

"What about posters? Would you like some quidditch posters to put up on the walls?"

"That would be Brilliant!"

Don let out a small chuckle. "I thought you would like that. I will be sure to tell Albus what you would like. Do you want to walk a bit more while I tell you more about their house?"

Detaching himself from the Healer's side and getting off the bench Harry gave a soft nod. Smiling Don got up as well and reached out to grab Harry's hand as they continued to walk through the gardens.

"So let's see where did I leave off? You're going to love the room Albus set aside for you. It's right across the hall from Severus's and has two large windows overlooking the gardens and a large forest. It also has a connecting room that you can use to put all your books or any games you have; sort of a play room."

Don looked over to Harry to see whether he was listening and frowned a bit when he saw that Harry was quietly looking down at his feet as they were walking. Slowing his stride a bit Don gently removed his hand from Harry's and placed it tenderly on the child's shoulder.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Slowly Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I...I don't have anything to put in that room..."

Sighing Don nodded in understanding. "I know Harry, and we are going to fix that. During Christmas break Albus was planning to take you shopping for things to fill that room. Again that was supposed to be a surprise, but that will be our little secret. Ok?"

Harry gave a small soft smile and nodded. Don had not really planned to reveal to Harry what he had discussed with Albus about his room, toys and things, but seeing that soft smile had made it worth it. At that moment Harry had needed reassuring and he knew Albus would understand when they met up later to head to the Ministry.

With his arm, still around Harry's shoulders Don started to walk down the path again.

"So what else about their house would you like to know?"

Slowly Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Is there anywhere I can fly my broom?"

Sighing Don looked down at the hopeful child. "Yes Harry, the garden is large enough that you can fly over it, but you have to remember until I give you the word you have to have an adult with you when you fly."

Harry sighed. "I know."

Gently Don gave the child's shoulders a squeeze. "You know I'm not trying to be mean, I just don't want you to hurt yourself."

Slowly Harry nodded his head, and Don guided Harry to head in the direction back to their rooms.

"I have to go check on Severus. Do you want to meet with Pam while I go and see him?"

Harry gave a small nod. "Is that ok?"

Giving the boy's shoulders another small squeeze Don smiled down at him. "Of course Harry."

The two then continued on to walk into the clinic and started to head to where Pam's office was. The whole time Don had a comforting hand over Harry's shoulders and was sending him a bit of calming magic. For some reason Harry was becoming more and more nervous the closer came to Pam's office. Finally, more than halfway there Don could not stand to see Harry like that any more and stopped him in the tracks.

"Talk to me Harry. What's wrong?"

"She...she doesn't think I'm weak does she?"

Stepping in front of Harry Don knelt down and placed a hand on each of his shoulders. "Listen to me Harry. You are not weak. You have been so strong through everything you have been through, and now it's time for you to accept the help we are offering. Pam sees you as the same strong young man Severus, and I do and wants to help make you even stronger by helping with your studies. Accepting our help is a sign of strength and nothing else."

With tears in his eyes, Harry gave a small nod and then launched forward and clutched to the Healer. Wrapping his arms around Harry Don just picked the child up as he got off the floor and again started to walk to where Pam was. While he had started to walk, he continued to talk to Harry.

"I'm sorry Harry, but Severus just woke up, and he's coughing again."

Don then took the few steps to Pamela's office and placed Harry down in front of the door. First knocking, he then knelt down in front of Harry.

"Will you be ok here for a little bit Harry?"

Slowly the boy nodded in understanding. The door then opened, and Don stood up with a nod to Harry.

He then smiled at Pam who answered the door and sent her a pleading look. "Could you please entertain Harry for a bit?"

"Of course Don, it would be my pleasure to "hang out " with Harry."

Pamela then gently took Harry's hand in hers while looking down at the messy haired boy.

"Come on Harry I have a few puzzles we can try to solve. How does that sound?"

The child gave a small smile and nodded at Pam. As soon as Don saw that smile and nod he reached out to ruffle Harry's hair.

"I'll see you later Harry. Ok?"

With another nod from Harry Don turned and started to walk quickly, almost jogging, through the halls to get to Severus's room. In mere minutes, he had arrived and just seconds after entering the room he was by Severus's bed holding the man up so that it was easier for him to cough up the crud.

"It's almost over Severus, just hang in there."

When the coughing fit was over Severus only had enough strength to lean forward into Don's strong arms and take deep breaths. The Healer gently lowered Severus into a more comfortable position for both of them, but kept his arms firmly wrapped around the man.

"How is your chest Severus? Are you in any pain?"

As Don lowered Severus completely down onto the bed the Healer gently extracted his arms. He could sense that the man was in pain he just needed to know where so that he could give him the right potions and creams. It seemed that Severus was having trouble talking though so Don watched the man with concern as he gently laid a hand on the man's chest.

"Don't talk Severus, just show me with your hand where you hurt."

Slowly the man nodded while still breathing heavily. His patient then with a shaky hand placed it over his chest and then moved it up to his throat. As Don watched the man, he nodded and grabbed a few potions and a cream from the bedside table.

"Ok Severus I have a few potions here for you to take, and then I'm going to rub a cream on your chest to ease the ache a bit."

Nodding his head Severus made a move to sit up, but Don was there immediately to help him up stuffing a fluffy pillow behind his back. The Healer handed the first potion to him, but kept a hand on it until Severus looked at him.

"Very slowly Severus and let me know if this hurts your throat too much. You know there is less painful way to give these to you, but it can be a bit embarrassing. If you want that though just tell me."

At the slight mention of suppositories Severus shuttered and made a vow to swallow these potions no matter how painful it might be. It was just not worth it to be embarrassed like that. The man nodded his head in understanding and Don removed his hand so that the man could drink down the potion.

As Severus gulped the potion down he winced and flinched as it scratched down his throat. Don just sighed as he watched the man hurt himself even further. It was obvious that Severus would not take the more embarrassing and less painful method of taking his potions, but he had tried. Maybe after feeling how much it hurt to swallow he would see reason.

After Severus had finished painfully gulping down the potion, he handed the vial back to the Healer and again Don sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to convince Severus to take the less painful method of delivering the potions that would make him better.

"Come on Severus. You know that I can put all these potions into one suppository, and it would be much less painful for your throat."

Closing his eyes Severus nodded. Even though he had made that vow the pain of the potions going down his raw throat was just too much to bare. So with another breath Severus opened his eyes and saw that Don had already combined all the potions he was supposed to take and put it in that horrible suppository. Gently Don laid a hand on Severus's shoulder and sent a touch of calming magic into the man.

"Relax Severus and just breathe."

Severus took a few more deep breaths and when Don sensed that he had calmed enough he removed his hand from his shoulder.

"Roll onto your side Severus and bend your knees. This will only take a moment."

Severus did as he was told while Don drew the privacy curtains around the bed just in case someone walked in. The Healer then came over and lifted the covers just enough so that he could reach Severus's bottom. Taking a moment before administering the medicine Don placed a hand on Severus's back.

"Just take some deep breaths and this will be over in no time."

Don felt Severus start to breathe deep so he removed his hand from his back then quickly lowered Severus's pajama bottoms to administered the medicine. For the next few moments Don held his patients bottom until he knew everything was absorbed into his body. As soon as he was sure he quickly rose Severus's pajama bottoms to their rightful place and helped the man roll over.

When Severus was laying on his back again the Healer saw the small tears leaking out of the man's eyes. Before Severus could wipe them away though, Don did it for him with a small washcloth he had conjured up.

"I know that was uncomfortable and embarrassing Severus, but by tomorrow you will be all better."

Severus nodded and let Don start to unbutton his top. "I'm just going to apply this cream to ease some of the pain and tightness you feel, and then I want you to sleep as long as you can. Ok?"

Nodding Severus closed his eyes as if he was drifting off to sleep. Concerned Don put the jar of cream he was holding down and placed a gentle hand on the man's forehead.

"Do you want me to help you sleep and then put the cream on?"

As slowly as he could Severus gave a nod. "Ok Severus then just relax."

The Healer then moved his other hand to place it on his patients chest and sent a slow stream of calming magic into him. Just enough to send him into a peaceful sleep that he hoped would last until dinner time. With the man softly snoring Don reached back onto the bed to retrieve the cream and began to slowly spread it onto Severus's chest.

Quickly finishing soothing the cream into his chest Don then buttoned up the man's top tucking him in up to his chin as he did so. He then banished the empty vials and placed the two still half-full jars on the table by the bed so that he had easy access to them later.

Don then pulled the privacy curtain open and sat down in the chair next to the man in the bed. Sighing he looked over at Severus and wished with all his might that the man's throat had not become so sore from all the coughing, but knew that it would have happened eventually with the violent way he was coughing.

Putting that hope away for there was nothing he could do to change what had already happened he got up to grab something he could rub on the outside of Severus's throat to try to make the inside feel a bit more comfortable. He would have done it before now, but he had really wanted to get Severus to sleep as soon as possible so that he could heal quicker.

Grabbing the cream from one of the many potion supply rooms Don then went back to Severus's and Harry's room. When he got there he opened the jar and after lowering the covers a bit he gently applied it over his patient's throat and was rewarded when he saw Severus's breathing even out a bit more.

Relieved that he had done something to help Severus feel better Don placed that jar of cream next to the other two he had left there. He then placed a gentle hand on the man's forehead to see whether his temperature had gone down and was further relieved to feel that the suppository had done their job as quickly as he had hoped it would. He then removed his hand from the man's forehead and further tucked the man in to make sure he was comfortable.

"Feel better Severus. I'll be back for dinner, and I'll bring Harry so you can have some company. He won't say so, but I can tell he has become quite attached and misses your presence."

With a small smile Don gave the man's shoulder one final pat before he quietly left the room to see Pamela and Harry.

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><p>While Don was tending to Severus Pamela was getting to know Harry a bit better. Sure she had met Harry before and had spent time with him, but that was mostly just to try to figure out how she was going to help him not really to get to know <em>who<em> he was.

So as Don quickly left down the hall Pamela had smiled down at Harry and had led him into her spacious office. She was very glad that she had decided some time ago to keep some puzzles and games in her office just in case she needed them.

As she led Harry into her spacious office meant for therapy sessions, Pamela hovered a few puzzles down from the shelves gently down onto a small table with two chairs on either side with her wand.

"I have a few puzzles you can choose from Harry or if you want we can play a game instead. It's up to you."

Daring to look up at the kind witch Harry gave a small smile. "Can we solve a puzzle? I always wanted to, but every time I tried at school Dudley would come over and destroy it before I could finish."

With a forced smile and, a small sigh Pamela nodded. "Yes Harry we can. Why don't you have a seat and pick one out? I'll be back in a moment. Ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and did as she had suggested sitting down and picking out a puzzle of a garden that had a lot of beautiful flowers in it. Seeing the picture on top of the box Harry started to wonder if the Headmaster and his Professor would let him help out in the garden. Out of all the chores, he had at the Dursleys that was the one job he had enjoyed. Well, he didn't particularity like the heat and the fact that he got sunburned every time, but he did enjoy the life he gave the small beautiful flowers he tended.

While Harry's thoughts wondered into the Headmaster's gardens Pamela escaped into her small private office in the back to gather her thoughts and feelings so they would not disturb Harry. No matter how often she saw or heard about a child being hurt or bullied by someone bigger and or older than them it hurt her immensely. She remembered all to well what it felt like to be bullied in school and knew exactly how much hurt that came with it. Hogwarts had not been a pleasant experience for her with her dorm mates contently teasing or bothering her in any way they could. So when she came into situations like these, which was not often, she had to take a moment to herself to calm down and plant a smile on her face.

Taking a few breaths to calm herself Pamela put that smile on her face and walked out of her office to try to entertain Harry as Don had asked her to. Walking over to Harry the Healer gracefully sat down in the chair across from Harry and gave him a small smile.

"I see you chose the more difficult puzzle. Would you like me to help you solve it?"

As Harry carefully dumped the pieces on the table he gave a small nod. "I would like that."

Smiling Pam began to help Harry set all the pieces right side up so that they could see what the image was on each piece. As they were both doing this Pam began to ask the boy about anything that came to mind.

"I know we talked about school earlier Harry, but I never did ask you what you thought about Hogwarts. Do you like going to school there?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Ever since I first stepped foot there it's been my home, and it always will be. I actually have friends and nobody's hurt me."

As Harry was saying the last part though he kept running a hand over the scar on his forehead and Pamela heard the unspoken words. "Except for Voldemort."

"Does your head hurt Harry?"

The child removed his hand from his head and gave a slow nod. "Whenever I think about that night with the stone."

"Have you told anyone?" Pamela knew about what happened that night Harry had gone after the Philosopher's stone as did everyone else in the wizarding world. It was a highly kept secret so naturally everyone knew, maybe not the exact details, but the general picture."

At the Healer's question Harry slowly shook his head. "I didn't think it was important."

"It is important to us Harry. You need to tell us things like that so we can help you. What did the Headmaster tell you of that night?"

Albus had in some terms told Don more specifics of what had happened so that if it came up he could help Harry and Don had told her a few things such as Harry had almost died that night from magical exhaustion.

"He said that I was a very brave boy, but I must not rush into danger like that again. I should have gone to a teacher for help, but he didn't listen to me when I told him I went and told Professor Mcgonagall and she told us not to worry!"

Harry was now breathing hard remembering the pain of being shrugged off as if he didn't know anything. It reminded him all to well of being at home with his Aunt and Uncle.

Pamela could see that Harry was trapped in the past, and his breathing was coming out too fast for comfort so she came over to Harry and placed two hands on his shoulders and sent calming magic into him.

"Calm down Harry. That is in the past, and it will never happen again. Just take some deep breaths for me and calm down. Then, we can talk about this some more. Ok?"

Harry did as the Healer told him and slowly the fuzziness in his mind faded away and it became easier for him to breathe. When he was awake enough, Pam slowed the calming magic down to just a trickle and then finally stopped it.

"Better?"

As Harry nodded Pam removed her hands completely and moved back over to her chair to sit down.

"Let me ask you this Harry. Were there any other teacher around that you could have gone too?"

Looking down at the puzzle in front of him and placing a piece where it belonged the child nodded. "What if there told me not to worry as well?"

Pamela sighed. "You never said anything to them though. Do you think Professor Snape would have sent you away?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. Last year he had thought that the man was the one who was trying to steal the stone, but now he knew different. What _would_ have happened if he had gone to the man and told him someone was after the stone?

When the Healer saw Harry plunge into deep thought again and stay there for a bit she gave another sigh and placed a comforting hand on his to snap him out of it.

"That is in the past Harry no need to worry about it now. Will you promise me though that you will go to an adult if anything like that happens again or your scar hurts?"

Slowly Harry nodded and Pamela removed her hand from his while giving him a smile.

"Let's see how far you've gotten on this puzzle."

Pamela moved the box to the floor and looked at the puzzle that had all the corners and edges done.

"Look how far you've gotten! I am so impressed Harry!"

Blushing the boy looked down at his lap. He was still not used to any praise directed his way. Seeing the boy's embarrassment Pamela smiled and tried to change the subject again while picking up a piece of the puzzle.

"Tell me about your friend's Harry."

Harry gave a small smile. "Well, Hermione is brilliant. She is always reading and helping me and Ron with our homework. She is kind of like a sister I never had. Ron, he's my best friend in the whole world. We talk about quidditch and goof off together; he's really good a chess! The twins, Ron's brothers, are really nice too. They play all sorts or pranks and jokes, but none of them are harmful only silly and funny even if you are their target. The rest of the Weasleys are nice too I suppose, I didn't get to meet Bill or Charley yet and I didn't get to stay that long to really get to know anyone else this summer. I wish I was able too... Mr. Weasley did come and help me and Don at the Ministry though!"

As Harry said his last statement to Pamela he looked up at her as if he were trying to convince her that they really were nice people. The Healer supposed that he was really trying to convince himself though, and not really her. Gently she reached over and placed a piece of the puzzle where it belongs and gave the boy a smile.

"I am sure that they are all very nice Harry, and I am sure that this summer you will get to see them all and get to know them better. I am very glad that Arthur was able to come and help you at the Ministry though, and I am sure he would do the same if he got a chance."

The child nodded and continued to concentrate on the puzzle in front of him. Curiosity getting the better of her Pamela asked the one question she had wanted to know all morning.

"Have you thought any if you wanted to go back to school Monday?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I really want to get back to class and see my friends, but I don't really want to leave Professor Snape's rooms."

"I thought I heard Severus offer his rooms to you whenever you wanted to stay with him. You could still go to school and come back home at night if you wanted. Or you could sleep in the dorms during the week and then go home on the weekends. What do you think of either of those?"

"I could really go back to Severus's rooms at night?"

"Yes Harry. I guess you were a little too tired and emotional to really hear what Severus was telling you."

Harry blushed, embarrassed at his weakness. "I think I will go back to classes, but I would like to stay with Severus at night...at least for now."

"I think that is a fine solution Harry, and I am very proud that you were able to make a decision."

Again, Harry blushed while placing another piece into the puzzle. The two then continued putting the puzzle together in an amicable silence until they both heard a soft knock on the door.

Smiling at Harry Pam got out of her chair. "I'll go get that Harry. I have a feeling it's Don."

When she opened the door, she was met with Don on the other side smiling at her. Gesturing him in Pam slowly closed the door behind him. When Don fully came into the room, he walked over to Harry and smiled as the boy looked up at him.

"Hey Harry I see you almost have that puzzle finished. After you finish that up, did you want to stay here for a while more or did you want to go and do something else?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Could we go see Professor Snape?"

The Healer caught the touch of worry in his eye and gave a small nod as he sat down in the chair he had conjured up as Pamela had sat back in the one she had left moments ago.

"I assure you Severus is fine, but if it would make you feel better we can go and visit him. We can't stay in the room for long though, I don't want to wake him. The more sleep he gets today the better he will feel."

Harry gave a small nod in understanding and focused on placing the final pieces in their right spots.

"Is there anything else you would like to do after that Harry? There is still a bit of time before dinner."

Slowly Harry shook his shoulders. "I don't know what else I can do..."

Don thought for a few seconds and then he got an idea. "You could write some in your journal if you wanted, or you could write to your friends telling them all of what you have done today."

Looking up hopefully at the Healer Harry gave a tiny smile. "Is there anyway I could look at that photo book that Severus showed me yesterday?"

Smiling Don nodded. "Severus had a feeling that you might want to look at it again today so he brought it and it is back in your room. Why don't you write a bit in your journal and then we can both look at that photos until dinner time?"

Harry gave a nod as he placed the last puzzle piece in place. As Harry did so Don looked up at what the puzzle was and smiled. It was an image of a garden, but there was something in the puzzle tat was not of the box. There was a small child planting flowers with a tall dark man watching him from a distance reading a book. Don supposed it was accidental magic.

Slowly Don got up from his chair and came to stand next to Harry looking down. "Would you mind if I took a picture of you and this masterpiece? I would love to add this to my picture book."

Harry got off his chair and looked at the Healer in wonder. "You have a picture book?"

Don smiled at Harry as he retreaded his camera from his pocket. "I do Harry. If you want I can show it to you. It had Severus in it starting from when he was fourteen and a few of you I have taken these few days."

The boy's eyes grew slightly larger. "You have pictures of me?"

"Why yes I do. I like to take pictures of all my patients for them to have later in life to remember all the joy they had."

Slowly Harry nodded. "Could you show it to me?"

Smiling and patting Harry on the shoulder Don nodded. "I think we can arrange that. Now stand next to your puzzle so I can take a picture."

Harry did as Don told him too, and the Healer took a few pictures wanting to really take in the whole situation. The Healer then turned to look at Pamela and gave a small bow of the head.

"Thank you for keeping Harry entertained while I tended to Severus. Would you mind keeping this on your table until tomorrow? I want to show it to someone; I don't think the pictures will quite do it justice."

Pamela nodded. "Certainly, I was actually planing on putting a stickling charm on the pieces and giving it to a certain someone. I dare say he will feel touched to see the likeness of himself."

All the while the two Healers were having their hushed conversation Harry was looking down at the puzzle in front of him. He really didn't know how those two figures had appeared that way. He had just thought of what it might be like planting flowers with his new guardian this summer, and it had just happened. The picture in the garden was quite what he had imagined though, maybe his magic had done it? Would he be in trouble for doing underage magic away from Hogwarts?"

Looking over at Harry Don was surprised and concerned to see a hyperventilating Harry. Quickly he made his way over to the child, kneeling down in front of him and pressing the boy's back into his chest.

"Breathe calmly for me Harry. Feel my breaths and try to match them. In...and...out."

As Harry slowed his breathing down Don slipped a calming potion from his pocket and gently fed it to the boy. Not an overly strong one, just one that would prevent him from dwelling on negative thoughts so they could talk about what had made Harry panic without sending him into another attack.

"What were you thinking just now Harry?"

Slightly turning into Don's arms so that his face was now resting on Don's shoulder Harry mumbled something soft into the fabrics of his robes. Gently Don extracted the boy from his clothes so that he could look into his eyes.

"I couldn't hear you Harry. Could you say that again?"

"I won't get in trouble will I?"

"For what Harry?" Don was genuinely confused. What could Harry be talking about?

"I used magic outside of Hogwarts...I didn't mean to!"

Slightly smiling Don gave the child a gentle look and guided Harry to sit in his chair so Don could get off the floor. Kneeling was not his favorite activity. Don then pulled his chair so that it was directly in front of the boy so that they could look at each other without any trouble.

"No Harry you are not in any trouble. What you did was accidental and no one would see any harm in it. Actually, I believe most people would find it rather sweet and touching. Pam was talking about framing it and giving it to Severus as a present from you. What do you think of that?"

Harry's eyes brightened up. "Could I?"

Don gave a small nod and held out a hand to help Harry off his seat. "Why don''t you and I go and check on Severus, and Pam can do that for us? We can give it to him before you leave tomorrow morning. I think Severus needs to stay the night so I can make sure he gets better"

Harry gave a small nod and accepted Don's hand up while he looked over at Pam. "Thank you."

Pamela smiled at Harry and started to walk with the two towards door. "It's my pleasure Harry."

Harry gave the witch a small smile and nodded as Don led him out of the room and into the hall. Before the two left Pamela though, Don stopped and planted on a small kiss on the woman's cheek when Harry was not looking making the witch blush. Don let a small smile grace his face when he realized that he was finally able to make the woman blush. He then lent down and whispered in her ear.

"Tomorrow, we will have dinner together I promise."

Pamela gained her composure back as Harry looked up at her and gave Don a small smile. Finally, Don was making a move; she had waited for too long for him to do so. She guessed that she had dropped the right hint earlier when she had told him that she would wait for him. Finally!

Pleased with herself Pamela gave the two a smile. "I will see you both tomorrow then. I want you to have a good nights rest Harry and don't let this man fill you with too many stories of Severus. You want to leave some for the man to tell himself."

That last statement she directed towards Don more than Harry. She knew that he liked to tell stories about his charge and didn't want him to get too carried away.

Fortunately, Don got the hint and nodded his head slightly. With, that the two made their way down the hall to the Harry and Severus's room so that Harry could see for himself that Severus was indeed all right.

When they arrived in their room Harry immediately went over to the bed Severus was on and sat in the chair near his head. As Don came over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder Harry looked up at him with concern in his eyes.

Smiling down at Harry Don gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "He's fine Harry, just a bit tired."

"Is he really? He looks so pale."

"He really is. Now let's grab your journal and that photo album. We can go down to the sunroom to look at those."

Slowly Harry nodded and went to grab his journal while Don grabbed the photo album and put it in his pocket next to his other one. When Harry came back over to Don, the Healer gently grabbed a hold of the boy's hand and smiled down at him.

"Ready to go now Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod and picked up the small black cat from his bed. Even though he felt comfortable around Don, he just felt that he needed the small stuffed creature.

Don just smiled at the small child and led him out of the room. It was getting late in the afternoon, and often children felt they needed that little extra comfort later in the day.

Reaching the sunroom Don walked over to the couch in the corner of the room and sat down with Harry right beside him. The Healer then pulled a small table up in front of Harry and pulled out a quill and ink so Harry could write for a bit.

"Here you go Harry. Write about what ever you want, whatever comes to your mind. Let me know when you can't write anymore and then we'll look at some photos."

Harry nodded while he opened his journal up to the right page and grabbed the quill from beside him. The child then diligently wrote about his day very careful to hold the quill the way Don had shown his earlier that day. It was much easier to write this way, and everything came out clearer.

Don smiled as he watched the boy write for a few minutes. He then removed a book he had brought for himself to read while the boy wrote all his thoughts down.

Ten minutes passed of Harry writing and Don reading his book until Harry quietly closed the journal and looked up at Don.

"Can we look at those pictures now?"

Don set down his book smiling. "That's why I brought the books with me."

The Healer removed the two books from his pocket and placed the book that had a photo of a smiling Severus on the front on top.

"Come closer Harry and we'll look at these together."

Harry scooted closer to the Healer and Don placed an arm around his shoulders while he opened the book to the first page.

The two sat there like that for a while. Harry entranced by the photo's of a young Severus and holding his small toy on his lap while Don was showing and telling Harry all about the photos. Near the end Don heard a few small snores come from the boy next to him and when he looked down he saw that Harry's eyes had closed and there was a soft smile on his face.

Smiling Don closed the book of photo's and shrunk all three books and put them in his pocket. He then gently maneuvered the boy so that he could carry him in his arms. When he had Harry all, situated he got up from the couch with the boy in his arms.

When he reached, their room Don placed the boy down on his bed and ordered two trays of food for his two boy's. Then, crossing the room he gently shook Severus's shoulder to wake him so he could eat a little something.

Slowly the man's eyes opened and looked to the person who was shaking his shoulder. When he saw it was Don he moved to sit up and let the Healer help him when it was apparent he needed some help. He was still pretty weak.

"How does your throat feel?"

Clearing his throat Severus nodded. "It's...better."

Don smiled. "Good. Do you think you could eat something?"

Slowly Severus nodded. "Could I have an appetite stimulant though?"

Don grabbed the potion from the bedside table and nodded. "Drink up Severus and then have some dinner. I'm going to wake Harry so he can have something to eat as well and then get ready for bed. I think you two should stay for the night."

Sighing Severus nodded in understanding. Either they stayed here, or Don would spend the night with them at Hogwarts and it would just be easier on all three of them if they stayed here.

The Healer smiled and placed the tray of food on the man's lap. He then walked over to Harry's bed and gently woke the child up and was rewarded with a small hand trying to bat his away from shaking his shoulder.

Smiling he leaned down and whispered in the child's ear. "I have food for you Harry, and then you can go back to sleep."

Slowly Harry's eye's opened at the mention of food and smiled when the Healer placed a tray of food on his lap. Sitting up slightly he put his small stuffed plushy beside him and smiled up at Don.

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome Harry. Now eat up and I'll be back in a bit. Ok?"

Harry nodded and Don walked over to Severus. "I'll leave you two for a few minutes. If Harry finishes his meal before I get back have him take a shower and get into his pajamas."

As Severus nodded Don walked towards the door and left his two boys alone for a few minutes.

The two in the room ate their food silently for a few minutes, but when they both finished Severus beckoned Harry to come over to his bed. When the child did come over to Severus he hesitated and wrung his hands together nervously.

Smiling Severus placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and with his other hand he patted the bed gently.

"Hop up Harry."

Carefully Harry climbed up on the bed, but then didn't know what to do after he got there. Gently Severus smiled at the boy and drew the boy so that he was sitting in his lap.

"How are you doing Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod. "I'm ok...how are you sir?"

"I'm going to be just fine Harry. Now why don't you go take a shower and get ready for bed? Are you going to be ok spending the night here?"

Harry gave a small nod and made to get off the bed to go take his shower. Just as Harry was hopping off the bed Don came back into the room and smiled at the scene in front of him.

"Don't forget to grab your pajamas Harry."

Harry nodded and grabbed his night clothes from the bedside table as he went into the bathroom. As Harry left to go to take a shower Don came over and banished both trays of food back to the kitchens. The Healer then presented another potion for Severus to take.

"This is the last fever reducer you have to take Severus. By tomorrow, you should be as right as rain."

Severus slightly scowled at the phrase the Healer had decided to use, but be did take the potion and chugged it back wincing slightly as it his sore throat.

"Do you want me to apply that cream to your chest again?"

Severus gave a slight nod so Don came over and opened the jar of cream he would need. As he did so Severus started to unbutton his top and relax back onto the pillows.

Smiling Don came a bit closer to the bed and scooped up a big glob of cream into his hand. He then gently smoothed it over Severus's chest. Most of the mucus was gone from the man's lungs, and Don was grateful that there was no more need for that mucus cream. Even though at the time it had been horrible, every time Severus had one of his coughing fits it had gotten rid of all the crud and had eliminated the need for that cream.

In just a few minutes, Don was finished applying the cream and was buttoning Severus's top back up.

"Why don't you go back to sleep now Severus and I'll take care of Harry."

Severus nodded and slipped back down into the bed closing his eyes almost immediately. Even though he had slept for most of the day, the sickness was really taking everything out of him.

Smiling Don looked down at his now sleeping patient the Healer tucked the covers up to Severus's chin.

A few moments later a shy wet haired boy emerged from the bathroom. Walking over to the boy's bed Don smiled and pulled the covers down so Harry could hop in.

"Come get into bed Harry. You had a long day and need some sleep."

Harry nodded and jumped into bed as Don pulled the covers up covering him completely.

"Did you remember to brush your teeth?"

Harry nodded slowly blushing. Seeing the blush Don smiled.

"Sleep tight Harry. Remember all you need to do is call me if you need anything. There is a charm on your bed that will let me know if you have any nightmares and if you do I will be here as soon as I can"

Harry nodded as his tired eyes started to close on him. Don smiled, and repositioned the small toy so Harry had better access to it if he felt the need to hug it close and was rewarded when the child reached out and grabbed it almost instinctively.

With that Don checked Severus one last time to see whether he was sleeping peacefully and when he saw the man was he noxed the lights and quietly excited the room.


	12. Behind Bars

Hey sorry for the long wait. I have no excused except for life got in my way...and school! Anyway, thank you for all the reviews!

Severus Snape admirer - I do promise there will be more Severus and Harry interactions. I just wanted to Severus to get a little TLC and not have it all centered around Harry's problems.

LunaBeth203 - haha I believe I mentioned his last name in here. It's Don Patterson.

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Thank you for that heads up. It totally slipped by!

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><p>Stepping through the floo to Albus's office Don let out a small sigh. He knew he should have at least talked to his Healer before he took this trip to the Ministry, but he had run out of time, and he hated to make Albus wait for him. Or maybe that was just an excuse.<p>

Pushing those thoughts away he gave Albus a smile as he appeared before him. Then, noticing the ashes all over his robes he made a move to brush them off. Straightening again after cleaning his robes he noticed to look of concern Albus was sending his way.

"What is it Albus?"

Albus gave the Healer another concerned look. "Are you going to be able to visit the Ministry without losing your temper? I've only seen that look on your face once before and that was when I had to stop you from hexing Severus's father to hell and back again."

Don took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll be fine Albus if you take my wand, and those...people stay behind bars."

Slowly Albus nodded. "Ok Don. The Minister wanted to speak with us before we visit them to get all the details so proper charges can be brought against them."

Nodding Don slowly extended his wand towards Albus's outstretched hand. As Albus took the wand he tenderly grabbed onto Don's hand for a moment and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I will leave your wand here under lock and key so nothing happens to it while we're gone. Is that ok with you?"

As Albus removed his hand from Don's the Healer nodded. "Thank you Albus."

Nodding Albus moved behind his desk and opened a drawer. Quickly he placed the Healer's wand inside and closed it locking it with a key and a simple warding spell that would keep everyone but either him or Don from opening the drawer. When that was finished Albus looked up at Don and smiled.

"All safe and sound. Now let's head over to the Ministry and get this over with."

Don nodded quickly and picked up some floo powder as Albus came over to the fireplace to floo behind the Healer. In the next moment Don was gone and Albus threw some green powder in as well before stepping through.

When arriving at the Ministry Albus spotted the Healer a few steps ahead of him wiping the ash off his robes. Smiling slightly at the Healers need to keep clean Albus began to brush himself off as well. As soon he was finished he came up behind the Healer and placed a hand on his shoulder. When he saw, Don look up at him he smiled and nodded.

Don nodded as well, and they both strode forward towards where the Minister's office was. Through the long trek through the Ministry Albus sent a few worried glances at the other man, but every time he looked at Don he seemed to be calm and composed. Albus knew deep down that Don could handle himself, he just could not help but worry. It seemed that was all he did of late, worry about the people around him.

Almost at the Minister's office Don caught another worried glance out of the corner of his eye and sighed. Stopping he looked at Albus.

"Albus please stop worrying about me. You have my wand, and I will speak with someone tonight. You do not have to worry about me."

Giving a small sigh the old man nodded. "I'm sorry Don, I guess it's something old men just do out of habit."

With a small smiled Don nodded. "It's ok Albus. I do understand it's hard not to worry when all you're doing lately is worrying about those you love."

Albus smiled. "Again, you've read me like a book Don. I don't know how you do that, and quite frankly it's a little scary."

With a slight smirk Don let out a hearty chuckle. "Come on let's go get this over with."

With a nod from Albus, the two continued forward to go to their meeting with Minister Bones. When they reached, the door Don lightly knocked and they both entered as soon as they heard the "come in" from inside.

As soon as Minister Bones looked up from her desk and spotted who had come in she smiled and made a gesture with her head to the two chairs in front of her desk. She then slightly nodded her head in greeting.

"Healer Patterson, Headmaster."

When Don sat down he gave the Minister a slight smile. "You've known me for years Minister; you know you can call me Don."

"And please call me Albus."

The witch nodded with a slight smile. "Then, you two will have to stop calling me Minister and call me by my name. Now, let's move on to why we're here. The Dursley's are downstairs in a holding cell waiting for their trial, but I need to know what exactly to charge them with. I am working on this personally, and it is my hope that we can charge them as quickly and quietly as possible. I don't want this to be in the headlines of The Daily Profit, and I'm sure Harry does not as well."

Don nodded. "What exactly do you need to know?"

"Well, it was obvious that Harry was hurt when he came to you and was starved by the way he was eating when I saw him. I need to know the extent of his wounds though, and exactly what he went through."

The Healer nodded and removed a few vials from his pocket placing them on the desk in front of him. "Severus and I have pensived our memories of all the injuries Harry has, and I can tell you more of all the injuries I found physically and mentally. I cannot however tell you what he has told me in confidence unless Harry gives me permission, and I'm not entirely comfortable asking him. He has already been through so much, and I don't want him to even start thinking that the whole world will know his every thought. It might make him stop confiding in the adults around him and that is the last thing we want."

The Minister nodded. "I understand. These memories should be enough to charge the Dursley's. I'm assuming I can charge both of them with neglect, endangerment of a child, and just Vernon Dursley with child abuse?"

Both Don and Albus nodded, but then Don spoke up. "You can charge them both with child abuse though. Harry's Aunt burned his hands on the stove as well as made him drink bleach repeatedly."

Silently Minister Bones placed a hand over her mouth in shock while closing her eyes, but took a few deep breaths to calm herself. When she composed herself she gave a sad look to the two before her. "Is there anything about that in the memories?"

Shaking his head slightly Don pulled out some papers from his other robe pocket. "No, but these have everything concerning his medical history in great detail."

Nodding the witch took the papers in hand and looked over them. The more she read the deeper her frown became until her mouth was just a thin line. Putting down the papers the Minister sighed and gave a sad look to the two in front of her.

"How_ is_ Harry doing?"

Don sighed. "He's doing better, but it will take a while before he heals completely. With Severus's love and care though I think Harry will adjust into a fine young man."

Slowly Minster Bones nodded. "Would you like to go down and see the Dursleys?"

Don nodded. "We would, but first I would like to ask of what happened to Dudley Dursley, their son?"

"He was removed from their home yesterday when we went to pick up his parents and placed in a special foster home to deal with his issues. It seems that he is so over weight that he is in danger of some major health risks. It also seems that growing up he never heard the word 'no' except when he was saying it so he has issues with authority figures. We are hopeful though that because he is still so young that Dudley adjusts to his new environment and learns boundaries."

Both Albus and Don nodded, but Albus spoke up. "Just out of curiosity was the child placed with a muggle family or a wizarding family?"

"He was placed with suibs. Since he already knows about the magical world and, the predigests his parents drilled into his head we thought that it would be best to place him with people who had a foot in both worlds. Otherwise, Dudley might grow up to hate the magical world even more for taking him from his parents and later on might try to take revenge. It would help no one if we had another wizard hunter on our hands."

Albus nodded. "Let me know if I can be of any assistance in helping the young lad. Maybe I can even take him on a special trip and show him the wonders of the magical world."

The Minister nodded. "I will see what his Healer and foster parents say and I'll let you know. Now, as for you two going down to see the Dursleys...I will have to take possession of your wands so you are not tempted to do any harm to them, and I cannot leave you alone with them. A guard has to be present at all times, and I would like to be there as well."

Both nodded their heads. "I already left my wand back at Hogwarts in Albus's office. I really just want a few words with those...people."

The Minister nodded and turned to Albus. "I'm sorry Albus, but I'm going to have to ask for you to relinquish your wand as well. You know whether they are injured in any way the guards will be blamed, and I don't think you want to get them in trouble. I'm really not allowed to take you down there, but I'm turning a blind eye in this case."

Albus took his wand out of his pocket and handed it to the woman. "You're right Amelia, and you have my thanks for allowing us to go down there."

Taking the wand the witch nodded. She then placed it in the large desk drawer in the middle of the desk and quietly warded it so no one could open it. When she was sure, the Headmaster's wand was locked away securely she stood up from her chair and walked towards the door. As soon as she reached the door, she turned around to see whether the two men were following her. When she saw they were she opened the door and strode forward to where the Dursleys were being kept.

Down three hallways and down two floors, the trio finally reached the holding cells. Before Don or Albus stepped forward to actually see the people they had come to see, Minister Bones stepped in front of them.

"Let the guard prep them first."

She then motioned to the guard next to her to go see the Dursleys while the two men nodded in understanding. When the guard came back and nodded at the Minister she let the two go forward, but followed closely behind with the guard to her right.

Reaching the right cell they stopped and stood just watching the two behind bars as they came closer to them. Vernon Dursley looked like a mess with his purple face staring straight at the two wizards angrily and not to mention Petunia who was thin as a stick and looked as if she were about to have steam coming out of her ears. Already, all involved could tell this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

Before either of the wizards could utter a single word to the two in cell, Vernon Dursley began to yell at Dumbledore loudly and with a rage one would not think possible. It was kind of sad, but all Don could think was the irony of how worried people around him were about _him_ blowing these people up. He was sure that if Vernon had any magic at all running through his veins he would have made the whole room explode.

"Why the hell did you _freaks_ lock us up?"

As calm as ever Albus just looked at the man and shook his head sadly. "I know you were told why you are here by the Aurors who picked you up. It is illegal to do otherwise."

Vernon sniffed indignantly. "Yeah they told us it was because we gave the freak what he deserved, but we were just teaching him a lesson. It's not as if we did anything wrong. Now just let us out!"

Don closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to keep himself calm. "Mr. Dursley, you abused your nephew. You. Hurt. Him."

The man behind bars just snorted. "So what, he always healed himself with his freaky-deaky powers of his. It's not as though anything_ really _hurt him."

Don took another breath. "Mr. Dursley, you are very lucky I don't have a wand with me. I don't believe that violence solves violence, but I I'm not sure if I could control myself as well as I would like. For you are a horrible human being. No matter what the circumstances are you never hurt a child. As an adult you are there to care for them; to protect them from harm not inflict it."

Vernon's face just turned a deeper shade of purple and he began to shout profanities too foul for the human ear to hear. As a response the guard pointed a wand at the man and cast a silencing spell on him to relieve every one of the horrible sound. Both wizards shot the guard a grateful glance while Vernon Dursley continued to scream his head off even though no one could hear him.

Albus then stepped forward to address the woman. "Petunia. I just have to ask you. How could you do this to your own flesh and blood? He is your sister's child."

The woman just scowled at the Headmaster. "You left him on our doorstep like a piece of garbage so we treated him like one. Just because we are, blood does not mean we have to care. He was a burden to my house always eating our food and taking clothing from my Dudley. Where is my Dudley? What have you freaky people done with my precious baby?"

Sadly Albus sighed. "You could have contacted me at anytime to tell me you did not wish to take care of your nephew, and I would have found him another loving home. You know that, I put in the letter I left for you. I suppose the monthly funds kept you from doing that though. I am disappointed in you Petunia. What would Lily think if she knew how you treated her son? I know for a fact that if Lily had to take care of your son she would have treated him as her own."

Petunia's face was now looking redder than a beet and flush at the same time as she heard those words come from Albus's mouth. "I. Don't. Care. What. That. Woman. Thinks. Of. Me. She got herself killed, and this is all her fault. Now tell me what you did to my Dudykins you freaks!"

Albus seemed to be fighting to keep his calm so Don took over for him. "Yes Petunia, it is your sister's fault for being murdered by a mad man. That makes perfect sense. Did you know that she fought until her last breath to keep her son safe and saved his life? That the love she had for him was so strong that even the killing curse could not break it. As for your son, he is being well-taken care of by his foster parents."

"Where is he? Did you stick him with freaks? My poor Duddy Wuddy!"

Exasperated Don sighed. "He is with squibs, and I know this is unfortunate to you, but your son will always have one foot in the magical world with his cousin being who he is. It is our hope that he will be able to overcome the hate you filled him with and begin to heal."

"You...you..." Petunia face became just became a deeper shade of red and she began to scream much as her husband had done and was still trying to. Casually the guard silenced her as well and beckoned to the two visitors. With the two silenced it was time for them to go. There was nothing more to discuss, Albus and Don had heard all they could stomach. Not bothering to say their goodbyes to the people behind bars Albus and Don walked over to where the Minister and guard were standing.

As soon as Don came within touching distance to the Minister she placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "Do you two want to come back to my office for a bit to calm down some before going back home?"

Albus nodded for the both of them. "Yes Amelia I think that is a wonderful idea. Maybe have a cup of tea?"

Smiling the Minister nodded. "I think I can arrange that. Now come on let's get out of here."

Very gently she placed an arm around the Healer's shoulder and led him out of the holding cell area with Albus on her other side. Quietly and quickly the three made it back to Minister Bones office.

When they got there she ushered the two to sit down and quickly ordered a tray of tea. As soon as the were all served the Minister sat in a chair beside the two instead of behind her desk. There was no need for formality just now. Remembering then about Albus's wand she gracefully hopped up from her chair and unwarded the draw of her desk. Reaching in she picked up the wand and then handed it back to the older man as she took her seat again.

Crossing her legs the Minister sent a small smile towards the Healer. "I'm sorry, but I forgot to ask whether you will be testifying at the trial?"

Slowly the Healer nodded. "I will, I don't want them to get away with what they did. They didn't even show remorse for what they did to the poor child!"

Albus placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I know Don, but it won't help or change anything if we were to get upset, and you know that. How many times have you told that to Severus?"

Sighing Don took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm ok Albus; I really am. I thought that whale was going to explode though, especially after the guard placed that silencing spell on him. His face just kept turning deeper shades of purple. I hate to say it, but it was almost amusing to watch him try to talk and fail."

Albus let a smile grace his face. "I admit it was. If what he was saying wasn't so deplorable I would have laughed."

Then, shaking is head Albus removed his hand from the Healer's shoulder and looked at the Minister. "Is there anything else we need to discuss or can we head home?"

"Actually I wanted to ask you one more thing Don. In your report, you put an incident concerning a doctor. What happened to him? Do we need to bring charges against him as well?"

Sadly Don shook his head. "I spoke with the muggle law enforcement, and they are pursuing that. They have a large file on him already, and Harry's case just put the nail in the coffin so to say."

Nodding the Minister sighed. "I guess that is one less thing to worry about then. I will visit the precinct just to make sure everything is in order though. I don't want anything to possibly happen so that he would be let out to hurt more children."

Both Albus and Don nodded and stood when the Minister did. "You two should head back home now. I can tell it's been a long day."

Don nodded. "It was good to see you again Amelia. I hope the next time we speak it will be under a better situation."

The Minister took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I hope so too. Have a good nights rest tonight. Anyone who knows you can see you haven't been sleeping."

"I will."

The Minister then took told of Albus hand and gave it the same gentle squeeze. "I will see you tomorrow. Please don't get into too much trouble until then."

Returning the small squeeze Albus nodded, but gave the witch a mischievous smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure Albus, sure." Minister Bones smiled and shook her head.

With, that the two made their way to the door and then down the hall to floo back to Hogwarts to retrieve Don's wand. With a few more goodbyes from Don to Albs he then quickly flooed back to the Clinic, he wanted to check on his patients.

* * *

><p>While Albus and Don were at the Ministry, Severus was having a tough night. Don had keyed Pamela into the charms so that while he was gone she would be able to come if Harry aid if he had a nightmare. When the unavoidable nightmare had made, it's presence known though Pamela was hardly repaired for what was going to take place. Never in a million years could she ever imagine that a child's nightmare could be so severe.<p>

The poor child had only one nightmare, but it was one of the that made him scream out in his sleep. Pamela had come as quickly as she could when she had heard the alarm bells in her ear and had practically run through the silencing shield Don had put up to keep Severus asleep. When she picked the boy up to place him in her lap through to wake and calm him Harry had only screamed louder, struggled out of her grasp and had wet himself while he was still asleep. After a few more attempts of trying and failing to wake the child, she did the only thing she could think of; she went to wake Severus. Don had told her that the man had the ability to calm the child even when he could not, and she needed that help, if they didn't wake him soon the poor child would scream his throat raw.

When she reached Severus's bed she gently placed a hand on the man's shoulder and that was enough to wake him. In his subconscious he could sense something in the room was amiss, but had no reason to wake until now. As soon as his eyes darted over to the other bed in the room and saw the silently screaming child Severus sat bolt upright and was out of the bed in mere seconds just shrugging the Healer off as he went to calm the child.

As he quickly trudged over to the bed, he snapped at Pamela. "Why the hell didn't you wake me sooner and why is there a silencing spell on his bed?"

He was sitting on Harry's bed drawing the small child onto his lap before he got an answer though, and when he did he simply ignored it. As soon as the child felt his familiar calloused hands he had calmed considerably. Gently Severus began to try to wake the boy from his dream, but all that came from his attempt were more small whimpers and a few quiet words.

"Daddy...I'm...I'm sorry."

Severus paused for a moment, but then hiked the child up so that his head was resting on his shoulder. "Yes child I'm here, and there is no need to be sorry. Wake up now, you're just dreaming."

Slowly Harry's eyes opened, but anyone could see that he was still half-asleep. As Severus hugged the child closer Harry woke up a bit more and right away noticed his wet pants. Embarrassed and ashamed Harry turned his face into Severus's robes started to cry.

"I'm so sorry daddy!"

Gently Severus started to rub the boy's back. "Shhhh It's ok Harry. You're going to be ok."

Violently Harry shook his head against Severus. "I'm...I'm so sorry!"

As gently as he could Severus placed a hand on the boy's cheek to stop him from shaking his head. "What are you sorry for Harry?"

Severus's only answer though was a tear filled shake of the head. Sighing Severus held the boy even closer and just let him cry himself out. He was obviously too distressed to do anything but. All the while Severus's heart hurt for the small crying child and at the same time fluttered at being called daddy.

Calmly Severus reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the mild calming potion. Quickly he uncorked it and then very gently pried Harry's face away from his shoulder. This was a ld potion, but it would keep Harry from becoming distressed to the point of being unconsolable.

"Can you drink this for me Harry? It will make you feel a better."

Shakily Harry reached forward and drew the vial closer to his mouth so that he could drink it's contents down. He would do anything if it would make that dream go away. The whole time Severus kept his steady hand on the potion so it would not spill. When the child had downed the entire container Severus took the vial away and placed it back on the table while Harry turned his face back into Severus's robes. As Severus felt the tears continue to fall he wrapped his arms around the child and rocked him a little.

"You're ok Harry. Everything will be just fine."

It took some minutes for Harry to calm down completely and when he did he just let the potion take over. He was just too tired to resist any longer. As soon as the child's cries quieted Severus pulled Harry back a bit and tucked his still stubborn hair behind his ear.

"Why don't we get ourselves cleaned up and then we can talk some more about your nightmare. Ok?

Hesitantly Harry gave a small nod while blushing considerably. "Do...do we have to talk about it though?"

Sighing Severus looked down at the boy still in his arms. "No Harry we don't, but it will feel better to get it off your chest."

"Can I wait until morning?"

Running gentle fingers through Harry's hair the man nodded. "It can, but the sooner you speak of it the sooner you will start to heal and feel better."

Slowly Harry nodded and then remembered what he had said earlier when he was half-asleep. In his dream Harry was standing in this large field and his parents were standing in front of him. They had been pointing their wands at him and were accusing him of killing them. Telling him it was his fault that Voldemort had come to their house in the first place. When Snape had picked him up in his dream it had been his real father picking him up, and placing him over his shoulder to bring him none to gently over to a cliff so he could throw him off. So he had pleaded with his "daddy" telling him he was sorry. Now, he realized that he had said it aloud and Severus had responded to him. Then, he had been half-asleep and had called his daddy again.

In his mind he had been calling the man daddy since he had claimed guardianship of him, but he had not dared to call him that out loud. He still was not entirely comfortable calling the man his first name out loud. In his mind it was safe to call him that forbidden word, he could pretend that they were father and son and perfectly happy together. In real life, though he was scared of how the man would react if he were to show that kind emotion. Even though he trusted Severus some things he just could not help to worry about.

"I'm really sorry about...what I called yo..."

Before Harry could finish his thought though, Severus placed a gentle finger on his mouth to stop him. "It's ok Harry. You don't need to apologize to me. Now, you are wet and I don't want you to get a chill. Let's get you into a warm shower and changed. We can talk some more later."

Again Harry nodded, but this time he made a move to get up out of Severus's lap. The man helped him off his lap and gently pushed him towards the bathroom.

"I'll bring in some new pajamas in a minute after I get myself changed and take care of your bed."

Quietly Harry closed the door behind him and Severus let out a small sigh and put his head in his hands not bothering to get off the bet yet. As he rose his head, he noticed Pam coming over to sit next to him.

"Are you ok there Severus?"

Halfheartedly the man shrugged off the hand the Healer had placed on his shoulder. Pam got the hint though, and removed her hand. Obviously, he didn't want to be touched at the moment.

"Do you want me to call Don from the Ministry Severus? I can if you need me to."

Severus shook his head. "No, I will be fine. I just need a few moments to think."

Slowly the Healer nodded. "Ok Severus. Do you want to tell me what you're thinking though? I know that sometimes voicing your thoughts can help."

Inwardly Severus sighed. "He called me daddy. Do I really deserve that title? Am I taking James place, I don't want to do that even though I hated the man. I just...I don't know..."

"Severus look at me and calm down. Harry lost his parents before he could really remember them. Him calling you daddy is not an act to replace them, but rather an act to put the final piece in the puzzle for what you have become. Even if it has been, a short time Harry has begun to look up to as a father figure and even if he doesn't know it consciously he loves you. He only calmed down to your touch and your words."

Severus placed his head in his hands again. "Can I really take care of him properly though? Am I cut out for this? I mean I am not a kind man. I yell at people and scowl if someone does something that slightly displeases me."

Smiling Pamela placed a gentle hand on the man's shoulder which was not shrugged off this time. "Severus every action you have taken screams that you love this boy dearly. I know you will take the best care of him as possible. Come on now and get changed before Harry comes out of the shower. I'll take care of the sheets."

Sighing Severus sat there for another moment before he made a move to get off Harry's bed. Pamela followed the man's example and stood up a moment after he did. She then waved her wand slightly, and the sheets on the bed were gone leaving the plastic cover sheet and mattress. They had anticipated that Harry might wet himself in his sleep. She then summoned a house elf and asked for clean sheets while Severus had drawn the privacy curtain around his bed so he could change into his spare pajamas.

The next moment Severus had emerged from the curtain and was headed towards the bathroom door with Harry's extra night clothes. Knocking softly on the door Severus entered when he heard the small confirmation that it was ok to enter. When he opened the door, he was grateful to see the shadow behind the curtain washing diligently. After that first night, it had become an ear of his that Harry would fall and hurt himself in the slippery tub. As he came in the room, he had placed the clothes on the sink and then had walked over to the shadow so he could better be heard by the boy over the noise of the water.

"Harry I left you your clothes on the sink. Is there anything else you need?"

"N...no I'm fine."

"Ok Harry. Just give me a call if you do need anything."

"Ok sir."

Inwardly Severus heaved a small sigh. He really wished that the boy would at least call him Severus. With that though Severus came out of the bathroom closing the door behind him. As soon as he did so he spotted Pamela making the bed by hand and went over to assist her.

Walking over to the other side of the bed Pam smiled at the man coming to help her. "Thank you Severus. I didn't want to bother the house elves too much this late at night. They need their sleep more than we do with all the work they accomplish in one day."

Severus just nodded and helped the woman pull the last blanket up to the top of the bed. With that done Severus cleared his throat.

"Thank you for all your help tonight Pamela. I think I can handle things from here though. If you could please tell Don what happened when he comes back from the Ministry though I would be grateful."

Slowly the Healer nodded. "How are you feeling though Severus? Are you still unwell?"

"I feel fine. The sleep and potions did their work, and I am perfectly well except for being a little tired."

"Ok then. If you get yourself sick again though I will not take the blame for it and will leave you to face the wrath of Don all by yourself."

Severus heaved a small sigh. "I understand."

Pamela nodded and quietly left the room as Severus came around to sit on his bed. A moment later Harry came out the bathroom shuffling his foot nervously. Again sighing slightly, Severus patted the place on the bed next to him.

"Come over here Harry and we'll have a small talk."

Slowly Harry came over and sat next to his Professor. He seemed uncomfortable though so Severus placed a hand on the two in the boy's lap to try to calm him.

"Look at me Harry."

When Harry looked up at Severus he continued. "Talk to me Harry. What is troubling you?"

"Do...do I really have to talk about it?"

Frowning slightly Severus shook his head. It must be something significant for Harry to be acting this way. He had talked about everything up until now, and this sudden silence did not bode well to the man. He would just push a bit more and if Harry still refused to talk he would reluctantly let it go for now. Maybe this could be something that Harry could only write down in his journal, but he really hoped not. He hated seeing his boy like this.

"No Harry, you don't have to tell me anything. It will help you feel better though, it is not good to hold things inside. That hurt and fear left alone can feaster and turn into a bigger hurt that can eat you from the inside out."

Harry suddenly lent into Severus's side. Slightly caught off guard Severus quickly recovered by gently placing a comforting arm around the boy's shoulders and stroking his hear back.

"My...my nightmare was...was about my parents..."

As Harry continued to tell Severus all about his nightmare, the man just kept a steady comforting hold on the child and when he broke down in tears after telling him that he was sorry for calling him daddy. The man just gently drew the child into his lap and held him tenderly.

"Listen to me Harry. You are not to blame for your parent's death, and I assure you they do not blame you one bit. Yes, they died protecting you, but that was their choice and not yours. They loved you so much, and they only want you to be happy, I can tell you that with certainty."

Harry just continued to sob into Severus's robes, but he did look up for a moment at the man with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. Savoring that sliver of hope Severus tried to continue as gently as possible.

"Let me tell you something Harry that I didn't think was real until just tonight. That night that I healed your wounds your mother payed a visit to me. She came to me in ghost form and told me many things. One was 'Tell him that I and James love him and that he needs to stop blaming himself for our deaths'. So please Harry stop blaming yourself for something that was out of your control. Your parents were targets for the dark lord before you were born and even if you were not there they would have still passed on."

Slowly and with tears in his eyes Harry looked up at Severus. "Mum...mum said that?"

"Yes Harry. Neither of them blame you and they want you to stop blaming yourself."

With that statement Harry wrapped his arms around Severus's middle in a hug and carefully that man wrapped his arms around the child returning the hug. Gently as he could Severus tried to continue with his train of thought.

"As for calling me daddy, we still need to talk about that Harry."

The child in his arms tensed up at the mention of daddy, but still Severus continued. He couldn't drag this out any longer than he had to.

"I am quite touched that you did Harry. In private, if you wanted to you could continue to call me that and I wouldn't mind. In fact, I was going to talk to you about this tomorrow, but we can do this now I guess. I want to adopt you Harry. If you don't want to I can still just be your guardian that is fine, but I have come to love you as a son and want to make that final step if you agree. I do not want to replace your father, but would just like to fill in where he cannot."

Gently Severus let the boy move back from the hug and look him in the eyes. When the man saw, the tear tracks he silently conjured up a warm washcloth and began to dab away the evidence of the child's recent cry to hide his nervousness. He had just laid his heart out there for this child, and he hoped dearly that he would not regret his action.

"I...I...I..."

Slowly the man pulled the washcloth away from the child's face. "Yes Harry?"

Taking a breath Harry just gave a small nod Severus presumed that the boy was unable to speak because of all the emotions he was feeling. Emotions were getting the best of him as Severus saw small tears begin to form again in the boy's eyes and to his shame he felt that a few of his own were forming.

"Is that a yes Harry? Would you like to be my son?"

Again Harry gave a small nod before launching himself back into the man's arms. Severus held on tight to Harry as tears of his own started to fall down his face. His boy had said yes! He was going to be a father to the child he had come so deeply to care about! This very well could be the greatest moment in his life.

The two stayed like that for a while, just holding onto each other. When Severus felt the boy's grip loosen considerably though he pulled the boy back just so that he could see his face and smiled when he saw that the child had fallen asleep. Gently he maneuvered the child so that he was lying on the bed, and he laid down next to him. His child could sleep with him tonight. Pulling up the covers he smiled as the boy curled slightly tighter to him. Silently he wandlessly summoned Harry's small stuffed cat that had been left forgotten on his bed and gently pushed it into the boy's arms. He was rewarded with the child clutching it closer to his chest and snuggling a little closer to him He then noxed the lights and fell asleep next to Harry, but not before placing a small kiss on the boy's forehead, and whispering a small "I love you" into the boy's ear.

An hour or so later Don stood in the doorway smiling as he saw is two boy's snuggling together in bed. He never thought he would ever see a happy smile on Severus's face while that man was sleeping and was very pleased that he was seeing it now. Silently he took out his magical camera and took a few pictures to put in his picture book. When he was finished, he walked quietly over to the two on the bed and made sure they were both sleeping peacefully. Before he left assured, he silently placed a monitoring charm over the both of them just in case they should need him tonight. He then turned slightly a quietly left the way he had come in.


	13. Questioning

Thanks for all the reviews! For some reason I had major writers block for this chapter so I'm sorry if it's not quite up to par. :)

shadewatcher - I haven't really given any thought to Draco of yet so I don't really know where that is going to go. We'll see though, he might pop up in the next couple of chapters.

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I don't think the timeline will be affected much here. Events will pretty much happen the same way as in the book, but with a few miner adjustments, at least thats the plan. I might change my mind, you never know! As for school, he had Pam now for help so I think he will be doing noticeably better.

adenoide - Yes, Harry still has the horcrux in his head. I have not thought as far as how Harry is going to kill Voldemort though so I guess we will find out together. :)

...and on to my rambling!

* * *

><p>Early the next morning Severus's eyes slowly opened to a bight and beautiful day. Looking down he saw that his child was snuggled so that his head was buried deep into his chest. Smiling Severus reached down and stroked the boy's hair back from his face so he could see the peacefully sleeping face. He looked so innocent when he was sleeping. The man then began to gently rub the boy's back in an attempt to wake him. If he were guessing correctly then, it was near eight in the morning, and he wanted to get Harry back home as soon as possible so he could contact Albus about the adoption. He was both excited, but also nervous and he didn't want to back out before anything was to start.<p>

"It's time to wake up child."

Stirring slightly Harry snuggled deeper into Severus's chest. The man's smile grew slightly, and he let out a small content sigh as he moved his hand from Harry's back and gently started to shake the boy's shoulder.

"Come on child it's time for breakfast, and then we can go back home."

At the mention of food Harry pulled back from Severus's chest a little and looked up at the man with sleepy eyes. Smiling down at the sleepy face Severus ruffled the boy's hair.

"Good morning Harry."

"Good morning Professor."

Still smiling Severus heaved a small sigh. He knew it was going to take time before Harry felt comfortable calling anything but his formal title, but he had hoped that after last night Harry would at least feel comfortable calling by his first name. It seemed that he had only done such out of distress maybe?

"Harry do you remember what I told you last night?"

Blushing Harry looked down. "It's not my fault..."

"No Harry It's not your fault, but do you remember anything else?"

"I...I can call you...daddy?"

Severus hugged Harry a little closer to his chest. "Yes Harry, you can if you want to."

"I can?"

"Yes child."

Harry lowered his head and buried himself back into Severus's chest. "Daddy?"

Severus let a wide smile grace his face, he was so proud of his boy. "What is it Harry?"

"Are we going home today? I would like to go back to my room."

Smiling Severus looked down at the messy black mop of hair and stroked the few pieces away that kept obstructing his view of the child's face.

"We can go home after you eat some breakfast. Ok?"

Harry nodded his head as Severus slightly pulled Harry away from his chest and smiled at the small yawn that escaped Harry's mouth.

"Well, I don't think we can eat lying in bed like this. We should get up and get some food in your belly."

Again Harry nodded, but this time he reluctantly made a move to get up out of his warm spot. As Harry did so Severus sat up slightly and helped the child off the bed so he could pad over to the bathroom. The man then got out of bed himself and then turned to make the bed so the House elves would have one less thing to do today. When he was finished, he grabbed the clothing he had asked the house elves to bring him yesterday when Don had made it clear they were not leaving until the next morning and started to walk to the bathroom to give the child his clothing.

Just in the few moments that Severus had taken a few steps toward the bathroom Harry came out. The boy looked down at his feet as he walked towards the man who had stopped in his tracks waiting to see what the boy would do. Concerned by the way Harry was acting Severus knelt down so that he was down at Harry's level.

"What is it Harry?"

"I...I didn't make it..."

Just then Severus noticed the small wet patch and sighed inwardly. Gently Severus put a hand beneath Harry's chin and rose it so that the boy could look nowhere else.

"There is no need to be ashamed Harry. Accidents happen, and I'm glad you came to me for help. I have your change of clothing right here for you. Why don't you go and take a quick shower and get changed?"

Slowly Harry took his clothes from Severus's arms and nodded his head. Gently Severus rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I'll see you in a bit ok Harry?"

The boy nodded and then turned slightly to walk back to the bathroom to clean up. Severus watched the entire time the boy padded back to the restroom and when the boy closed the door the man let out a small sigh while he stood up from the floor. Tiredly he rubbed his face with his rough fingers and closed his eyes for a moment. Was he really cut out for this? Sighing the man sat back down on the bed and placed his clothing beside him.

Leaning in the doorway Don smiled as he came to sit down next to the man. As soon as he heard the small tinkling in his ear warning him that the two had awoken he had walked quickly to the boy's room wanting to be there when they woke. He had just watched though as Severus had taken care of Harry and was deeply touched to hear the small daddy from the boy. It seemed as though Pam was right, and the boy had had a small break through last night.

"Hi Severus."

Looking over to the man Severus nodded his head in greeting. "Good morning."

"Pamela told me what happened last night. How are you doing?"

Looking over at Don Severus shrugged his shoulders and then looked back down at his lap. "Fine I guess, but can I really do this? Am I the right person?"

"Severus stop it and look at me!"

Slowly Severus did as Don told him and looked over at the Healer. When he saw the determination burning in Don's eyes though he flinched a little and looked back down. He knew that look, by the end of this talk he would be agreeing to anything Don said.

As Severus looked back down to his lap Don reached out and grabbed the man's chin so that he had no choice but to look at him.

"No Severus, you're not running from this child. He needs you too much for you to do that to him. I know you are scared that you are going to mess up, and I'm sure you will at one point, we all do, but Albus and I will there to help you make everything right again. None of us are perfect, but you are the perfect person for that child in there. He loves you and I can clearly see that you love him. I know that the moment you saw this child hurt you wanted to do whatever you cold to protect him, just follow that instinct. It has never seared you wrong before."

Don released the man's chin when he saw the slight nod and heard the slight whisper. "I won't run. You are right Don, as always."

Sighing Don nodded. "I know you are just saying that Severus, but please listen to me and come to me or Albus if you have any trouble. Ok?"

"I will."

"Good, now get dressed. If Harry comes out of the shower before you are ready, I'll go order breakfast with him."

Patting Severus on the arm Don got up off the bed and smiled at the man. Looking up at the Healer Severus nodded and stood up to put his robes on. Silently Don pulled closed the privacy curtains so Severus could dress without being embarrassed. He knew how much privacy meant to the man.

While Severus was dressing a wet haired boy emerged from the bathroom and blushed when he saw Don giving him a smile. Earlier out of the corner of his eye he saw Don watching them from the doorway while Severus was reassuring him, but he had decided to ignore that embarrassment just then. Now though Harry was feeling all the embarrassment from earlier rest on his shoulders.

Sensing the boy's nervousness and embarrassment Don came over to the boy and gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

"No need to be embarrassed Harry. Now let's go order some breakfast and surprise Severus. What would you like?"

Quietly Don led the boy out of the room to give Severus just a bit more privacy and space to think about what he had just been told. Severus had a history of running away when things either got tough or he became unfamiliar with the territory. That is what happened with that woman from last year. The poor man couldn't understand why a woman like that would find him so attractive and so he had run as fast as he could. Don had let him then but was now determined to not let Severus do that again. It would not only hurt Harry, but it would hurt Severus even more. Even if it had only been a few short days, the two had somehow formed a strong bond and to break that would be devastating.

With those thoughts cleared away Don smiled down at the shy boy in front of him who was still blushing. It amazed him how much alike Harry was to Severus when he was younger. Not in looks, but they had that same sweet nature. Harry's was much more pronounced than Severus's had been and still was, but still it was there.

"So Harry, what would you like for breakfast? Anything special?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders.

Sighing a bit Don patted the boy on the shoulder. "Ok then Harry. How about some grits, toast, eggs and fruit?"

Slowly the boy nodded his head. "That sounds really good!"

With a smile Don called a house elf and ordered their meal. When the house elf popped back with two trays, Don silently handed one of the trays to Harry. As the elf disappeared Don smiled down at the boy. Gently he placed a hand on the child's shoulder and led him into the room where the two had been staying.

When they entered, the room Harry saw Severus sitting on his bed smiling at him. Gently the man patted the spot next to him on the bed and gestured for Harry to come and sit next to him.

"Come have a seat Harry and we'll eat together."

Nodding Harry came over with the tray and sat down next to Severus. Don came closely behind him and carefully placed the tray he was carrying on Severus's lap while he pulled three potions from his robe pocket. First, he handed one potion to Severus and then the other two to Harry.

"Drink up boys and then I want to see all this food disappear. Is that clear?"

Both nodded and Severus gave the Healer a small scowl as he downed the potion. Harry just simply did as Don told him and after drinking the whole glass of milk started to down his food. Smirking Don looked at Severus who was still scowling at him.

"See Severus, why can't you be more agreeable like Harry here?"

Harry looked up and blushed at hearing his name. Looking between both the scowling man and the smiling Healer he didn't know what to think or how he should feel. It seemed that Don was enjoying annoying his Professor and was his new daddy mad at him?

Don noticed the disappearance of the small clank against the ceramic plate so he looked over to see what the matter was and saw Harry nervously glancing between the two. Quickly he sent a significant look to Severus and gestured with his head to the small child next to him. He wanted Severus to soothe the boy's nerves; it was good for him to bond with the child. As soon as Severus saw the slight nod he looked over at Harry and sighed at the sight of the small nervous boy. Gently he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder so that he would look up into his concerned eyes.

"What is it Harry?"

"I'm sorry..."

"For what Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked down. Sighing slightly Severus placed his tray of food beside him on the bed. He then gently turned Harry slightly so that Harry was looking at him.

"Did what Don say bother you? Is that what this is all about?"

Slowly Harry nodded his head.

"You know Harry Don was just teasing me. He wasn't saying anything negative about either of us; he was just joking Harry."

Slyly Harry shot a glance at Don who was just simply nodding ad smiling at the child. Even though it was, a quick glance Don saw it and was glad that the child had that courage to look over at him. Gently the Healer reached over and placed a hand on Severus's which was still residing on the child's shoulder.

"Severus is right Harry. I was just teasing."

Harry nodded. "So...you don't want Severus to be more like me?" The boy shot an anxious look over at his Professor.

Don removed his hand and sat on the other side of Harry. "Severus will always be who he is and even if I wish at times he would be more compliant I would not wish him to change one bit. Just as I would never wish for you to change from the sweet child, you are."

Slowly Harry nodded as Don patted him on the leg and Severus retook his food onto his lap.

"Now eat up Harry so we can go home."

Looking back over to Severus he nodded again and picked his fork back up so that he could continue to eat. When Don saw, Harry resume eating he sent a silent stern look over to Severus, and the man began to eat as well.

When they were both finished with their meal Don asked a house elf to clear away their trays and Severus took Harry into his lap giving him a small hug as he did.

"Is there anything you would like to do when we go home Harry?"

Slowly the boy gave a small nod. "Can we look at that other photo book?

"That sounds wonderful Harry and then we can talk about some things."

As Severus said that he gave a significant look over at Don who nodded. The Healer predicted that Severus would be calling his later tonight. Before Severus officially adopted Harry, they both knew that Severus was going to have to tell the child more about his past. The man had been dreading this for fear that Harry would reject him once he found out, but the boy had to know what he was getting himself into.

Giving the child one last squeeze he unwrapped his arms and let the child hop down from his perch. Severus then stood up and took the offered potion Don was handing him and then handed it to the child uncorking it as he did.

"A stomach soother Harry for going through the floo. Drink it quickly and then help me pack away all our things so we don't forget anything."

Harry gave a quick nod and drank down the potion Severus handed him. When the whole vial was gone, Harry padded over to his bed and started to put away his things in a backpack Severus had placed on the bed for him while they were out in the hall ordering breakfast.

Severus smiled at the fast moving boy and then set to work packing his own belongings except for the small black kneezle that was still on his bed from last night. The small toy he held in his arms until Harry looked back at him. As the boy came nearer with his small bag of things Severus handed the small stuffed toy to the boy and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Come on Harry, time to go now. Don will later stop by to see how we are faring. Ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and let the older man lead him down the hallway. With a few quick goodbyes to Don, the two went through the floo and back home.

* * *

><p>When they arrived back in Severus's quarters it only took a few minutes for Harry to recover from their journey. It seemed with every time they went though the floo his body adjusted to the weird squeezing feeling. Not that he didn't stumble upon landing causing Severus to have to catch him, but he was getting better at it.<p>

As soon as Severus was sure Harry was fine from the trip he told him to go to his room and unpack his things and to make himself home. He would come in with the photo album in a bit, and they could look over it together. Meanwhile, he had to contact Albus before he lost his nerve to ask him for help with the adoption.

Before Severus made another move towards the floo, he watched as Harry retreated to his room. When he was sure the boy was inside safe and sound, he turned and threw the powder in the floo to call the Headmaster. In just a few seconds, Albus's face appeared before Severus as he looked through the floo into the man's office.

"God morning my boy! What do I owe this visit too? Is everything alright?"

As Albus asked his last question his face grew a concerned look and Severus let out a small sigh. He really hated it when Albus did this. He would be all happy one minute and then when you didn't answer fast enough, not that he gave you a chance, he would become worried. The man really could be annoying at times.

"Yes everything is fine Albus; I just have a question for you."

The features on the old man's face softened hearing that both his boys were fine. "What would you like me to do my boy?"

Taking a deep breath Severus continued with his head lowered in embarrassment. "Could you help me adopt Harry?"

Eyes sparkling with glee and mischief Albus happily nodded. "I take it the trip to the clinic did you both some good then? May I step through and you can fill me in on last nights happenings?"

Slightly Severus shook his head. "I'm sorry Albus that will have to wait until later. Harry is expecting me and my photo album in his room. I don't want to make him wait."

Softly smiling Albus gave a small nod. "I understand my dear boy. I'll start with the paperwork, and I'll visit you two later. Call me if you need anything."

Severus nodded and Albus's head disappeared from the fireplace. Standing up and brushing the ashes off of his robes Severus heaved a small sigh and grabbed the photo book he wanted to show Harry. Then, turning he started to walk to Harry's room. He was not really looking forward to this conversation.

Knocking on the door frame Severus smiled when he saw Harry look up from finishing putting away his clothing. Folding one more shirt and placing it in the draw he closed it and walked over to sit down next to his guardian who was now sitting on the bed. As the boy sat down Severus pulled over the small kneezle plushy and sat it in the boy's lap, he might need that little bit of extra comfort for this. He knew he would if the roles were reversed.

Smiling at the child who had pressed his body close to his side he gently ruffled that messy mop of hair. It seemed the haircut had done little to calm down it's messiness. Maybe he could create a potion that would help the mop of hair to calm down, something to ponder later. Pushing that thought away Severus placed the album where the two of them could see it best, right in between them.

Looking at the cover sadly Severus then looked over at the boy and started to explain the photo that was on the cover.

"This is me when I was thirteen. Your mothers parents practically took me in that summer. My father he always liked to drink, but that year my mother encouraged me to stay out of the house more. I'm assuming it was getting worse. It was one of the best summers I can remember though. I was a Evens in all, but name."

Severus then opened the album and began to explain his life from the pictures. He had placed the photos in chronological order for a reason.

"You see this is when I turned fourteen. Your mother planned a surprise party for me. If you want, I'll share that pensive memory with you sometime. I think you would enjoy seeing that. Then this is in our fourth year. That year was hard for me. I spent Christmas break at school as I did every year, but I received a letter from my father on Christmas Eve. The only one I ever receive from him. It was a letter informing me that my mother had passed. I knew she had been sick, but never to that point."

Severus looked down at the small child and wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulder. In turn the boy leaned more heavily into Severus as if he was trying to give more comfort then receive it. First smiling down at the boy Severus took a deep breath and continued as calmly as he possibly could. This was not an easy subject of his, he really hated his past.

"I took her death hard. I stopped eating, and it seemed nothing Lily said or did would help me feel better. It got to the point where I finally collapsed in the hallway from hunger and exhaustion. That is when I met Don, Albus called him to help me get better. When Don was helping me heal from my grief he heard about my home life and told Albus what had been happening. I had kept my mothers passing to myself and everything else for fear of being pitied. Ever since I have lived with with the Headmaster. He took me from my home and gave me something that I can never properly thank him for. I hope that is ok with you Harry? Spending the holidays and summers with your Headmaster."

Severus looked down at the child who had leaned further into his side and had rested his head on his chest. Slowly the boy nodded.

"Don told me you lived with the Headmaster. He said that he was already preparing my room for Christmas break."

Smiling down at the boy Severus nodded knowingly. That Healer always knew the right things to say at the right time. He had just wanted to make sure that Harry was ok with their arrangement. Sighing Severus turned the page to some photo's of when he was in his fifth year. This was what he had been dreading.

"This is me in my fifth year. I was very angry that year. The pain of loosing my mother was still very fresh, and these bullies would not leave me alone. About halfway though the year, those boys humiliated me where everyone could see. Lily...Lily tried to calm me down, but as I said I was a very angry boy right then. I snapped at her in anger and called her a name, a horrible name, and she would not accept my apology after I realized what I had done."

As much as he hated James Potter he just could not tell his child what the man had done. Every child deserved to look up to their father as if they were a god, he just didn't have it in his heart to ruin that image for Harry. As Severus looked down at the boy waiting for the backlash he gently began to rub Harry's back in a calming manner.

"What...what did you call her?"

Severus paused for a moment and carefully drew the boy onto his lap. Gently he wrapped both arms around the child and rested his chin on his head. He wanted to make the most of this before Harry became mad at him and pushed him away. He needed that moment to feel his child one last time. For he knew that as soon as this all came out Harry would hate him and not want to be near him ever again.

"I called her a mudblood."

Severus had to wait an agonizing moment before he received a small nod. "You...you tried to apologize?"

"I did Harry, but you see your mum was a very prideful woman and it took her a long time to forgive someone. At the time, I didn't know that and losing my only friend pushed me over the edge. She did eventually accept my apology, but that was years later and it was actually you who made that possible. She put aside her grudge so that I could come and see you when you were born."

Severus pulled back a bit as Harry moved to look up into his face. "What...what do you mean by that?"

"Well Harry, we all make mistakes in our life. I unfortunately made the worst mistake you ever can. I joined the Death Eaters."

Harry stilled and looked at the man in shock and a little fear. "You're...you're a Death Eater?"

"That's complicated Harry. For a while, I was there. I left Albus's home, and I lived with Lucius Malfoy until I realized what we were doing. I was blinded with hurt, guilt and grief. When I did see the whole picture, I came back to Albus, and he took me in again. I became a spy for the light and was no longer a follower of the dark. I am no longer a Death Eater, but I would understand if you rather not stay with me anymore. If you want I can call Albus so you can speak with someone."

Harry pulled away for a moment and looked up at Severus. "Could...could I speak with the Headmaster?"

Severus heaved a small sigh. "Yes Harry, I can go get him right now if you want."

Slowly the boy nodded. "If...if you don't mind."

"No Harry I do not. Here hold onto Shadow and I'll bring the Headmaster in a minute."

Severus then picked Harry up by the armpits and placed him so that he was sitting on his own on the bed hugging his small stuffed creature. The man moved to the door swiftly wanting to get this over with. He had just lost his child, because of what his past. He had feared that this was going to happen and now it was. How stupid of him for even _thinking_ that Harry might accept him, he was a monster. He had done horrible things, unforgivable things. What child would want him as a father?

Hurting Severus walked to the floo and called Albus to ask him to come through. The Headmaster immediately did when he saw the distress written all over the man's face. The old man was concerned and as soon as he came through the floo he approached Severus and placed a gentle and on the man's cheek and gave him a worried look.

"What is it Severus?"

Severus lent into the touch and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them he started to tell Albus what he had told Harry and how Harry had reacted.

"Severus...Harry is processing all that information you threw at him. He needed to know, but he is understandably needs time to digest everything and talk to someone else. It is a good sign that he asked to speak with me it shows that he wants answers and is seeking comfort. Just let me speak with him Severus and then you will see everything will be alright."

Severus nodded and let the older man lead him over to the couch so he could sit down. Before he left to speak with Harry, he sat down beside Severus.

"Do you want me to call Don for you?"

"No I will be ok, just please speak with Harry. I can't lose him..."

Albus got up off the couch. "...and you will not." With that Albus went over to Harry's door and gently knocked on the door frame to get Harry's attention. When the wizard saw the boy's nervous eyes look up at him, he heaved a small silent sigh and came in to the room and draw the child onto his lap.

"You wanted to talk to me child?"

Slowly Harry nodded. "Is...is what daddy said was true?"

Albus smiled at the name Harry had called Severus and gave a small nod. As of yet he had not been informed on this development. No wonder Severus could not bare to lose this child.

"Yes Harry, everything he said is true. I am sure he never mentioned how brave he was and still is when he spies though. You know Harry; your daddy is one of the bravest men I know. I don' think I would be able to do what he does on a daily basis."

Slowly Harry nodded. "No...he didn't...is he mad at me? ….for asking, to speak with you?"

Shaking his head Albus soothingly rubbed the boy's back in a calming manner. "No Harry. He was worried though that you might not want to stay with him. Do you want to go live with someone else?"

Violently Harry shook his head causing Albus chuckle a little. "I'll take that as a no then?"

"No, I don't want to go anywhere else...I just...I'm a little scared..."

"Why are you scared Harry?"

"What if he gets hurt? What if I lose him too? I've lost everyone else...I just...I don't want to lose him too."

Harry silently burrowed his head into Albus's robes and small sobs racked his tiny frame. As gently as he could Albus wrapped his arms around the child while whispering in his ear.

"I promise Harry I will do everything in my power so that will not happen. Shhhh Calm down now, everything is ok."

Just then Severus had come in the room unable to keep away any longer when he had heard the muffled sobs of his child. Spotting the child in Albus's arms Severus shot the man a questioning glance, not really sure what was going on.

When the old wizard spotted Severus and his glance, he got up off the bed with the boy in his arms and carefully handed off the child to the man in black. Harry smelling the familiar spices and felt the heart beat beneath his ear relaxed slightly, but still could not bare the thought of loosing his daddy.

Still looking questioningly at Albus Severus hiked the child up so that he could have a better grip on the boy. He was somewhat surprised when Harry held on tighter to him as if he was afraid that he was going to leave at any moment. Smiling Albus placed a calming hand on Severus's shoulder.

"Harry here was afraid he was going to lose you. Maybe, it is time for you to quit your spying duties. You have paid your dues, it's time for you to have some happiness in your life."

Hugging the child a little closer to him Severus gave a swift nod. He wanted to help the light as much as he could to atone for his past, but he knew if he was going to be there for Harry he was going to have to help in other ways now. He could not put his life on the line anymore, someone depended on him.

"Shhh Harry it's ok. I'm right here child and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Slowly, but surly Harry's cries slowed down to just soft sniffles. While Harry had been calming down, Severus had retaken his seat on the bed so that he could accommodate Harry's weight accordingly. Pretty soon he was not going to be able to pick Harry up like that without the aid of a feather light charm. Thankfully it seemed that the nutrient potions were doing their job.

When the boy's tears had faded completely Albus had conjured up the warm washcloth and had taken over wiping away the tears and tear stains.

"See Harry, Severus is not going anywhere. He will be here for you whenever you need him."

Slowly Harry nodded and let his Headmaster dry his tears. When the older wizard was finished Severus re-situated Harry so that he was more sitting on his lap then laying in it.

"There is one more thing we need to talk abut Harry. We need to talk about potion class."

Harry tensed at the new subject, but Severus quickly began to rub soothing circles on his back and Albus had placed his hand on the boy's shoulder sending a touch of calming magic into him. Just a precaution.

"It's ok Harry. I just want you to know that I'm unfortunately going to have to continue to treat you the way I have for this past year. I am still head of Slytherian house and if I suddenly started to treat you differently it could put both our lives in danger. I can pretend that my interest has strayed from the Dark Lord, but if I start to treat you kindly people could become suspicious of our relationship, and I don't want you in any danger."

Harry nodded a little. "Does that mean I can't tell anyone that you're going to adopt me?"

Severus let out a small sigh. "You can tell your friend's Harry and the Weasleys will know as well as the staff here, but no you cannot tell anyone else. It could risk your life. I also want you to know and understand that anything I say in class that hurts your feelings does not reflect how I really feel. None of those words are real; it's just an act. Do you understand?"

Again, the child nodded and looked shyly over at Albus.

"Thank you Headmaster for...well..."

Patting Harry on the arm Albus gave a small smile. "It's nothing Harry. I'm here for you whenever you need me just like Don, Severus and all the other teachers here. Now why don't I go finish up those adoption papers while you two finish that photo book. I believe that there are happier photos in there of you in there."

Severus nodded as he brought the photo book back out to place it in front of both him and Harry. Albus took the silent cue to leave and gave the two a gentle smile as he left the room.

Before Severus began to show more photos to Harry though, he brushed the hair away from Harry's face and looked down into his face to make sure he really was alright. When he was sure the child had calmed, and reassured himself that Harry truly did not want to leave him for what he was he looked back down at the book.

He had been so worried that Harry would ask Albus if someone else could take him in and had convinced himself in that short amount of time that it was probably for the best. As soon as he had heard the small sobs though, even though they were almost silent to anyone else, he had somehow developed a sixth sense to when Harry was hurting, he had rushed to the room to see what the matter was. When Albus had told him why Harry was so upset though, he was half shocked that Harry really did care about him, and half touched that his boy cared that much. His boy really did love him just as e loved his boy.

Turning to where the had left off Severus showed the child pictures of his sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts that were somewhat happy except for James and the other Marauders. Albus had taken him under his wing more so then before and had even helped him through the rough nights after meetings. It had been hard with school though he was shunned by Lily, his one friend and her family didn't want to see him again. She never told them that he was a Death Eater just that he had done horrible things and just like that a family that had always loved him dropped him as if he were nothing. That had hurt more than anything. The Headmaster, Albus had made things bearable though, and had somehow made his life livable.

As Harry looked down at the photo's Severus held tightly onto the child, he didn't want to lose him ever again. That had been too close of a call for him even if he had misinterpreted why Harry had asked to see Albus.

Putting that all behind him for now Severus turned to yet another page. These were pictures of Severus and Albus after the war when he had had somewhat of a peaceful life. For ten years, he had actually lived a life and maybe with Harry in his life he would get to live an even fuller one in the future. Maybe he could finally be truly happy.

The two continued with that photo Album for another hour until they had looked at every single photo, even the few Albus had stuck in there of Harry when they weren't looking. When the book closed Severus cast a small tempus charm to see what time it was and was surprised to see it was time for some lunch.

"Are you hungry son?"

Slowly Harry gave a small nod. "Yes daddy. Could we eat in the hall?"

"We can. Do you think you're ready for that? You know we can't sit together?"

Snuggling back into Severus Harry gave another nod. "I would like to see my friends."

"Ok then Harry. Are you ready to go up then or would you like a few moments?"

"Can we walk together?"

"I don't see why not I can cast a not notice me spell, but we will have to enter the hall separately."

Slowly Harry gave his small nod and made to get off of Severus's lap. The man helped the child and then swiftly went over to Harry's closet and took out one of the jumpers.

"You might get chilly Harry, and I don't want you to catch a cold."

Harry accepted the sweater and put it on with a little help from Severus. Somehow he put his head halfway through a sleeve causing a smile from Severus as he helped the child right the article of clothing. When it was all straightened out Severus gently placed a hand on the child's back and guided him out of their rooms and into the hallway.

The walk was quiet, but it was a nice silence not an awkward one. Before they reached the front doors to the hall though, Severus turned to Harry and gave him a soft but stern look.

"Remember to drink all your milk before you eat anything and if you start to feel uncomfortable just look up at me or call me with your pendent and we will get you out of there as soon as possible. Ok?"

Harry looked up at his Professor and nodded just as Minerva came around the corner shaking her head and smiling.

"My Severus you sound like a mother hen already. Harry will be fine. Let the child go see his friends."

The boy looked hopefully up at Severus, and the man gave a slight nod. "Go on Harry, I will be in in a few minutes. If you want after lunch, we can head back down to our rooms, or you can go with your friends. Either way is fine with me, just remember to be back home before curfew and don't walk alone. Have a friend come with you."

Slowly Harry nodded before he gave the man a quick hug. "I just want to have lunch with them, nothing more."

"Ok then Harry. If you change your mind though let me know."

Tightening his hug for a moment Harry nodded. He then let go and started to head to the front doors of the hall. As soon as Severus saw the boy disappear he turned to look at Minerva sending a small glare her way.

"I resent that statement. I am not a mother hen, that title belongs to Mrs. Weasley and no one else."

Minerva smiled knowingly. "Sure Severus. It's nice to see you so caring though. I wish you would show this side more often."

"You know I cannot do that. I have a reputation to keep, now I believe a sufficient amount of time has passed and we can enter without any suspicion."

The witch sighed, but nodded. She knew that Severus was putting up his mask as they spoke, but hated that the man had to do so. Before the man could enter the hall though, she placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"May I ask you a question first?"

Rolling his eyes Severus nodded and crossing his arms over his chest. "What now?"

"I never received word of Harry's sleeping arrangements. Will he be in the dorms or down in your rooms? I need to know for head count."

"For now he will be down with me. I'm hoping that he quickly starts to feel comfortable going back to his dorms though, and visits on the weekends. I have to admit that when that time comes I'm going to miss his presence."

Minerva removed her hand, but not before giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Come on then, let's go get something to eat. Albus has your potion up at the staff table."

Severus nodded and they both entered the hall one with a neutral look on her face and the other throwing his trademark scowl at the Gryffindor table, but noticeably none of those scowls were directed towards one small raven haired boy.

When the two arrived at the head table it was to a table full of smiles. Scowling Severus turned to the Headmaster who he knew had spilled the beans to the rest of the staff. It was quite obvious by the smiles that were being directed his way. Why the old meddling coot had to meddle in his affaires never ceased to annoy him. As he sat in his seat next to Albus he continued to send glares the man's way even when Albus gently placed his potion before his plate.

"Before you ask, the papers are going well. It's going to take longer then guardianship, but I would say this will take no longer then a week."

Severus nodded his glare fading thanks to the subject. "Thank you Albus."

The Headmaster gently placed a hand on Severus's that was toying with his fork. "Drink your potion Severus and then serve yourself up."

Severus did as the Headmaster told him to and the rest of lunch passed smoothly. Harry was happily sitting with his friends who were sending glares and hexes to anyone who came too close to their friend and the rest of the staff, much to Severus's displeasure, were seeing the man in a new light. No longer was Severus the greasy bat of the dungeons, but an ex spy for the light.


	14. Voices

Hello everybody! I'm sorry this took me as long as it did. I have the excuses, but I know you rather not be bored with them. :) A quick heads up though, my grammar/spell checker is broken at the moment and I'm working hard to get it fixed. I would wait until I can get it fixed, but I wanted to get this up there fore you. If you come across anything weird, I'm sorry in advance! :)

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Sorry for almost giving you a heart attack, but I just couldn't help it! I like messing with minds sometimes! ;) As for the chamber...I'll let you figure out if the Basilisk had any part in this story after this chapter. haha

damonreader05 - I don't really know yet how Draco will fall into this story. I kind of want to wait to see where everything else falls into place first before I add him to the mix.

I I I Jemm I I I - I'm sorry Jemm if you find my story to not be up to your standards, but if the biggest complaint is a simple missed word I'm happy. Not everyone is perfect and people miss things. I never said this was a professional story; it's just me writing down something creative to cope with the stress of programming.

OvercastCrystal - Thank you for the heads up! They are all fixed! :)

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><p>The rest of Severus's and Harry's Sunday was spent with one another. After lunch, the two had made their way down to their little home safely. Harry with his hoard of friends surrounding him, they were all determined to protect Harry and Severus with Albus by his side, he had wanted to make sure Severus truly was ok after this morning's events.<p>

After the two's friends left them alone, they spent a couple of hours where Severus helped Harry catch up with his schoolwork. None of his summer work had been done due to his relatives locking it up so he could not. Severus had already spoken with most of the teachers and they had given the boy an extension, but they both wanted the work done sooner rather than later. While they had been working though Harry had become so tired his eyes had started to droop and before he knew it he was curled up on Severus's lap sound asleep. The Professor was too amused to move the boy, and they spent the rest of their time before dinner like that.

While Harry was asleep Severus had started stroking his long, calloused fingers through the boy's hair. It was a soothing action for not only Harry it seemed. In an hour or, so Severus heard the floo go off behind him. Turning slightly the man on the couch saw that it was Don. Unconcerned Severus just gave the healer a motion with his hand that meant to signal that the Healer could come and have a seat.

Taking the hint with a smile on his face Don sat down in the chair across from the Severus and the small boy sleeping in his lap. It seemed that his prediction had been correct and Harry was going to get sleepy in the afternoon easily. Maybe a regular hour nap after lunch would do the boy some good.

Looking up from the sleeping boy to Severus's face the Healer donned a smile again and voiced his thoughts. "I wonder Severus, do you think Harry would do well with an afternoon nap every day?"

The man looked down at the child while still running his fingers through his hair. "That might not be a bad idea. Ever since lunch was over he was fighting hard to keep his eyes open. I believe he has a free hour after lunch that he could spend resting."

Don nodded, and a mischievous smile graced his face. "Maybe it will also keep him out of trouble."

Severus smiled at that comment as he looked down at his child. "Anything to keep him out of trouble, it seems to follow him."

Again the Healer nodded. "Is there anything you need Severus?"

Slowly he shook his head and then he remembered that muggle woman Harry had mentioned helping him when he visited his Aunt's bridge club and he gave Don a thoughtful look. Harry had said that he would like to see her again. "Actually now that I'm thinking of there is something you can do. Is there anyway you can arrange a meeting with a muggle for Harry, and I?"

"Just tell me who and when and I'll see what I can do."

Severus then launched into his explanation of what Harry told him in the cafeteria and garden. As Don listened to Severus speak he nodded his head thoughtfully. He would very much like to meet this woman as well. It seemed that she had done whatever she could to keep Harry safe when others had not bothered. When the man was done explaining the Healer got up from his chair and started to the floo.

"I will see what I can arrange. Next weekend sound like a good time for a visit? I hesitate to schedule during the week when I suspect Harry will be tired from his classes."

"Thank you Don."

Smiling the Healer left through the floo in search of one Mrs. Landow.

Not too long after Don left Severus and Harry on the couch for his search did Harry wake up from his nap. Sleepily he looked up at the man who was gently smiling at him and blinked a couple of time. Then realizing who's lap his head was resting in he made a move to get up. Gently Severus placed a soft, but firm hand on the boy's chest stopping him from getting up.

"It's ok Harry; you can stay there."

Harry relaxed under the man's touch and leaned back comfortably, no longer fighting. Why fight when the man said it was ok?

"You were tired weren't you? Are you feeling better now?"

Harry gave a small nod while Severus continued to relax the boy further by gently tucking his hair away from his face.

"I was just talking to Don a little while ago. He thought that it might be a good idea if you took a nap like this every day after lunch. What do you think?"

"But...but naps are for babies!"

Severus's smile deepened and he ruffled the boy's hair fondly. "Ok then, how about if you took a rest after lunch every day?"

Slowly Harry nodded against Severus. He didn't mind resting, just as long as it wasn't a nap. As Harry nodded his head Severus gave the boy a gentle pat on the shoulder, more amused than anything. A little of Lily's personality was shinning through.

"Do you want to get up now? We have some time before Dinner; we can play a game of chess if you want."

Harry nodded ecclesiastically. "Can you teach me some tricks? It would be nice to beat Ron sometime. He always wins."

Smiling Severus nodded as he helped Harry sit up on the couch. "Do you want to go clean up before we play?"

Slightly blushing Harry nodded and got off the couch to head to the bathroom. As Harry went to go wash up Severus summoned the chess board from the table in front of him. When the chess board was all set up Severus then called a house elf and asked for a glass of milk for Harry and a cup of tea for him along with a tray full of cookies. It wouldn't hurt the boy to have a few cookies before dinner. In fact, it would probably help him put some more weight on.

As Harry came back through from the bathroom, he saw the chess board and smiled. He then came and sat across from Severus and jumped as the house elf popped back in with their refreshments and snacks. He had not been expecting the small creature, and sudden movements still scared the living stuffing out of him.

With the refreshments on the table and, the small elf gone Harry started to calm down from his scare by taking deep breaths. A few minutes later, after calming down, Harry picked up the glass of milk and sipped on it greedily. He hadn't had anything to drink since lunch, and he was quite thirsty.

When Harry put down his glass of milk Severus gave him a small smile.

"I'll have to remember to keep more liquid around for you. You know if you get hungry or thirsty you are more than welcome to ask for something from the kitchens?"

"I know sir, but I don't want to be a bother."

Severus sighed. "Child you could never be a bother to anyone. I want you to tell me if you ever need anything, understand?"

Slowly Harry nodded his head and played with the ends of his shirt. Sensing the boy's nerviness Severus sighed again and made to move on.

"So Harry you've played chess before?"

"Ron taught me last year, but I'm not very good."

Severus nodded. "Then let's help you get better so that one of these days you can beat Ron."

The two then began to play their game with Severus showing Harry some moves that he was sure the other boy did not know. They played until dinner time. When that time came Severus looked over at the smirking boy across from him and shook his head fondly admitting his defeat. Harry despite all his learning disabilities with a little extra help caught on quickly.

"That was very good Harry. Are you ready for a little something to eat? We can go up to the hall, or we could stay here?"

Shyly Harry looked down at the chess board. "Could we stay here? Seeing my friends was great and all, but I think I would like to stay here before tomorrow."

Severus nodded and absent minded levitated the chess board back to it's place on the shelf He then summoned a house elf to both take away the dishes from earlier and order dinner for them. He knew the elf understood the silent order to let Albus know they were not coming up to dine with the rest of the school tonight.

The man then got up from his chair, and Harry imitated his actions almost immediately following him to the table. A few seconds later the elf popped back in with the tray that was asked for and after setting the dinner on the table he presented a vial to Severus and another one to Harry. As Severus scowled the elf just stood there and watched as the potion was poured down the man's throat. As soon as it was the elf looked to Harry clearly expecting him to do the same. Harry just rose an eyebrow though, and looked up at Severus waiting for an explanation.

The man heaved a sigh and scowled at the elf again. "He won't leave until you drink that potion. This is the Headmaster's way of making sure we drink our potions without bothering us 'too much', but it's still annoying."

Harry was still looking between the smiling elf and the scowling potion master with interest when Severus cleared his throat distracting him.

"Well then, drink it up so this annoying little creature can report back and we can move on with our meal."

The boy looked up once more and then did as his guardian told him to and drank the whole potion down in one gulp. When he was finished, the elf popped away and Severus gave Harry a small smile.

"Thank you Harry for getting rid of that little creature. I suspect we will be seeing more of Tibby. She is Professor Dumbledore's favorite elf, and he likes to check up on me frequently."

Harry gave a small nod, but looked down at the plate of food that was placed in front of him suddenly not feeling very hungry. He didn't really know how he felt about an elf watching him. Would he watch him when he was in the bathroom? That thought kind of freaked him out.

Sighing when he saw the signs of the boy deflating before his eyes Severus got up from his chair and sat down in a free one next to Harry. Gently Severus picked Harry up under his arms and placed the boy on his lap so that his back was pressed into his chest. Somehow he sensed that the boy was in need of a little more than verbal comfort and there was something more bothering him then just the elf.

With Harry on his lap, he adjusted and readjusted the boy until they were both in comfortable positions. He then looked down at the messy black mop in front of him and gently leaned over to whisper in the child's ear.

"Talk to me Harry. I can see something is troubling you."

Moving slightly Harry turned to look up at Severus. "Will Tibby follow me everywhere I go?"

"No child he will just pop in to check on us from time to time. He will not invade our privacy. Is there something else that is troubling you? Maybe something about tomorrow?"

Harry thought for a moment at the thought that was nagging in the back of his mind. He had not wanted to say anything for fear that the man would either make fun of him or laugh, but he so far he had not done so... He knew he could trust this man, but this was just so embarrassing. He hated himself for being so weak.

Severus gave Harry those few minutes to think and then some. He had an idea what this was about if this morning had anything to do with it. When the two had sat there like that for a good while, Severus gently readjusted Harry on his lap so that the boy could soak in all the comfort he was offering him and look him in the eye at the same time. All situated Severus gently placed a hand on the boy's cheek and summered a hanky from his room as he saw the beginnings of tears form in the boy's eye's. Tenderly the man dabbed away the tears and hugged the child just a bit closer.

"Come on Harry. You can tell me anything."

Shyly the child looked down into his lap and let a few more tears escape his eyes. He hated being this weak. He couldn't control his bladder, even a baby could do that!

"What if tomorrow...I can't...help it..."

Knowing what this was about immediately Severus turned the child so that he could look right in his eyes. "You want to know what would happen if you had an accident while you are in school. Am I right?"

Blushing Harry looked down at his lap again and leaned against the strong chest that was holding him up right.

"Well Harry, let me tell you a story about my Grandmother. You see when she was young she went to Hogwarts as well, and she had a similar problem to yours. Her bladder was weak, and sometimes things just happened. It was something she could not help."

Severus smiled a bit and leaned back into his chair a bit remembering when his mother told him this story. His Grandmother sure was a strong, unique woman. He really did wish that he had gotten to know her more before she passed.

"When she was a student here, a sixth year, she was walking down the hall with a friend to run something to another teacher. Some of the teachers liked to send students as messengers instead of owls between classrooms. She had gotten used to loosing control and as they were walking down the hall there was a small trail following her. My Grandmother knew of course, and her friend did as well, but she just didn't care just kept on walking. Later on, she did get in trouble for not calling someone to clean it up or using magic to clean it, but that is not the moral of this story. The moral is that she was not embarrassed, because there was nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens to everyone one time or another she knew that, and I want you to know that as well."

Severus looked down at the boy in his lap and noticed that Harry had somewhat relaxed during his little story. He assumed hearing about someone who had a similar problem had made him feel a little less alone.

"So Harry you know what we are going to do so that you don't have to worry about anything like that tomorrow?"

Harry looked up and shyly shook his head and Severus smiled down at the boy as he gently ruffled his hair.

"I'll tell you what we'll do then. We will do the same thing she did, and I did when I was younger. Tonight, we will place an extra set of underclothes and trousers in your school bag so that if anything does happen you will have something to change into. I will even teach you a simple replacement charm that you can do sitting at your desk if you don't want to get up and change in the restroom. I of course will have a bag that you can place your old clothes in so nothing else gets dirty. How does that sound? Do you think that will make you feel better about going back to school?"

Harry looked up at the man with a small sparkle in his eye while he was nodding his head. "That would be brilliant sir! Will anyone notice the charm though? I...I...kinda don't want anyone to know..."

Severus smiled again while he drew the boy so that he was hugging him close to his chest again. "The other Professors were already told about your problems so you don't have to worry about them. They will know, but will say nothing if they see you performing the charm. The other students will likely not notice as it is a small and quick spell. If they do we will come up with something to tell them, ok?"

Harry nodded against Severus's chest as the man held on a little tighter. When Severus heard the small mumble come from his chest area he sighed a bit and smiled down into the small black head of hair.

"Thank you Daddy."

After Harry had calmed down completely, Severus placed him back in his chair and he mored back to his seat at the other end of the table. The two then ate their dinner in an amicable silence with the occasional chatting of this and that. When they were finished, Severus banished the dishes back to the kitchens and led Harry to his room.

For the next hour or so Severus got Harry ready for his first day back at school. Packing his bag with the promised plastic bag and extra change of clothing the man also made sure that Harry had the extra work books that Pam had sent over for Harry. They were really there just to help keep the boy more organized.

As Severus was finishing getting Harry ready for the next day he sent the boy to the bathroom to take his shower and get ready for bed. He wanted Harry well rested for the next day, and he could tell by the bags under his eyes that the boy was exhausted despite his nap earlier. When the boy came back pajama clad and wet haired, the man gently pulled back the covers and patted the bed inviting the child to climb in. As soon as he did Severus pulled up the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.

Gently Severus brushed the still damp hair away from the boy's face and smiled down at him.

"We just cut off all this hair and look it's all grown back!"

Harry looked down at his blanket trying to hold back tears. This man had been so nice to him and had taken him in, but again he was messing everything up. Why did his hair have to grow like that?

"I'm really sorry sir..."

Severus's smile faded as he saw the become distressed. Sighing the man gently raised Harry's chin so he could look into those gorgeous green orbs. What did he say now that upset the child? He knew he had to be careful and not bring up things that might remind him of the past, but it seemed that these invisible triggers were hard not to trip over.

"There is nothing to be sorry for Harry. I was just joking around with you. Do you want to tell me what made you so upset now?"

Harry lent into the soft touch and looked at his Professor with just a bit of fear in his eyes.

"Aunt...Aunt Petunia...she used to cut my hair when I was little. The next day though it always grew back. She...she would get so mad that she would get Uncle...Uncle Vernon..."

As Harry trailed off caught up in his memory Severus pulled back the covers and gently moved the boy so that he was now sitting on his lap again. Hugging the child Severus let Harry start to weep into his robes. As he did Severus rested his chin on top of the boy's head and stared off into space knowing that no words would calm the child right now. All he needed was the close contact of someone who cares.

While Severus was sitting there with Harry in his lap he could not help thinking of all that had happened to this poor boy. It was going to take a long time for him to recover. Harry had made a lot of progress already, but how many years was this really going to take?

When the crying softly faded away Severus shook those thoughts from his mind and pulled Harry back from his chest so he could give him a comforting smile.

"I want you to know this Harry. I will never get mad at you for your hair growing or for any accidental magic you do. You are just a child and you cannot help those things. I already told you my rules, and I promise you I will never add anymore without you knowing first. Now, you must be sleepy, let's get you back into bed for a nice rest."

Harry nodded and as he did so yawned confirming what Severus already knew. With another smile on his face Severus placed Harry back onto the bed and pulled the covers back up to underneath the boy's chin.

"Close your eyes now Harry. I'll stay here until you fall asleep."

Harry gave another small nod and slowly closed his eyes. "Good night daddy."

"Good night son."

In just a few seconds, Harry was breathing deeply indicating that he was sleeping peacefully. Severus sighed before he got off the bed, but then smiled as he looked down at the sleeping child. He knew that helping this child was not going to be easy, but when he saw the child like this, sleeping peacefully, he knew it was worth it. With that last thought, the man bent down and gently left a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"I will protect you, child, as long as you need me to."

* * *

><p>That night was the first night that Harry had been free of nightmares in a long time. It helped that Severus had put a charm on the boy so that any slight disturbance would summon him immediately so that he could calm the child before he woke. Only once did Severus have to get out of his own bed though, and was able to go back to bed soon after soothing the bad dreams from the child.<p>

So when Harry woke that morning to a gently shaken shoulder he smiled as he opened his eyes. It was the first time in his short life that he had actually slept through an entire night, and he felt great.

"Are you ready for some breakfast Harry?"

Slowly Harry nodded and swung his feet off the edge of the bed. As he sat on the edge of the bed Severus looked down at the small boy and was happy to see a small smile looking up at him. The man much preferred to see the small smile than tears running down his face.

"I thought since you're going to be with your friends all day you might want to have your breakfast here. Is that alright?"

Harry nodded and launched himself into Severus arms. "I'm going to miss you sir."

"I'm not going to go anywhere Harry. If you need me, you know where I'll be and if it's an emergency you have your pendent. You're going to be fine."

Harry nodded into Severus's chest and then pulled back from the embrace with a smile on his face. "I know, but I'm still going to miss you daddy."

Severus ruffled the boy's hair and then gently pushed him towards the bathroom where he had already laid out his school robes for him. He had woken Harry a little later than he really should have, but the child deserved a little more rest. Or at least that is how he justified sitting there and watching his child sleep for more than ten minutes. He didn't think he would ever really get over how peaceful the boy looked when he was sleeping and just seeing that warmed his heart. "Me too scamp, now go get dressed. You don't want to be late on your first day back!"

As Harry left Severus followed as far as the bathroom and then left to go to the kitchen table where their food had already been laid out for them by the house elf. The elf that Albus had sent with their potions had been waiting there as well so that he could watch the two take their potions. When the man saw the elf still standing there, he just rolled his eyes as the elf handed him his potion. Quickly he downed it and promised the elf he would make sure Harry took his, but the elf had his orders and would not budge until Harry had taken his potions as well. Stubborn little thing.

In just a few minutes, Harry came out of the bathroom all dressed in his robes. He came over and sat down in the chair next to Severus and dutifully took the potions from the elf. After he drank them both of them, the elf popped away much to Harry and Severus's delight. While they appreciated the elf's help, they didn't particularly like being watched by one every second. The two then quickly finished their meal and Harry went to grab his things. Before Harry could leave the room though, Severus stopped him in his tracks.

"Remember Harry, I don't want you travailing the hallways on your own. Have a friend with you at all times, ok? Also, don't forget you are to come down here to have a rest during your hour break after lunch."

Harry gave a nod, but then looked questionably up at the man. "If you're not here how do I get in?"

Severus smirked and rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thank you for reminding me Harry. The password is 'Mr. Potter'. I thought no one would think of tying that, and I thought you might enjoy it."

Harry smiled wide. "I like it." He then came forward and embraced his new guardian. While he was pressed tightly to the other man, he managed to mumble out a few more things that if Severus did not have sensitive hearing he would have missed.

"I'll see you later on in potions, and I understand that you have to be mean. I'll still love you daddy."

Looking down at the messy mop of hair Severus smiled. "I love you too son. Now, you better be off before Professor Mcgonagall marks you late! I'm writing no excuses!"

Harry pulled away and gave the man one more smile before he left through the door. After he left Severus carefully sat down and shook his head.

"That boy. One day he was scared about going to school, and the next he couldn't wait to get out the door. He really is going to be the death of me. His moods change so often, I wonder if I should talk to Don."

With that Severus stood back up and started to get ready for his classes; he would ponder that later. Lucky for him, his classes had just been canceled while he had been at the clinic and Albus had not tried to take over for him. If the old man had he knew the first thing he would have to do was to clean out the sticky candy messes from his cauldrons. Sighing in relief he shrugged that awful memory from his mind. Since he didn't have that chore he just had to make sure his lessons were in order and double check his classroom to see that everything was in place.

While Severus was getting himself ready for the day, Harry was running up the stairs and almost ran right into Ron who was coming down to see whether Harry wanted someone to walk with. After they realized just whom they had almost run into, both boy's donned smiles and a few laughs. As soon as they recovered from almost colliding Ron turned serious.

"Come on Harry, or we'll be late!"

Harry nodded and accepted the arm that was slipped through his. Arms linked the two started to run up the stairs to where their first class of the day was, Transfiguration.

As fast as they could, the two boy's ran up the stairs and it appeared they made it just in time for Mcgonagall had just walked into the room. Quickly the two boys took their seats next to Hermione while the bushy brown haired girl raised an eyebrow at the panting boys.

Quietly she whispered. "Why do you two look as though you just ran a marathon?"

Ron almost hissed back to her. "It's a long way from the dungeons, and we were almost late!"

"Mr. Weasley! Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

Everyones head turned to look at Ron and the red head blushed. "No Professor, I'm sorry."

Minerva nodded, and everyone's attention returned to her as she started to lecture again. The rest of the class passed without any further incidents and all three of the trio were happy when the class came to an end. For different reasons mind you. Harry was having trouble keeping up in class and remembering what he had read in the text, but the other two wanted to ask Harry how his weekend had been with Snape.

As soon as the class was let out Hermione grabbed the two boy's arms and rushed them to the door of the classroom, before they could leave though Minerva stopped them by the door with a call.

"Mr. Potter I need a word."

On one hand, Harry was glad that Professor Mcgonagall had called him that meant that he could put off telling his friend's everything just now, but then on the other hand, he was nervous and didn't know what the witch wanted.

All three of them stopped in their tracks and turned to look at their Professor. With a smile, the woman gave a small nod.

"You two should get going to your next class. Tell Professor Flitwick Harry will be along in a moment."

The two nodded and with one last look at Harry they left the classroom. Slowly and stiffly Harry came closer to where his Professor was behind her desk.

Minerva sighed a little as she saw Harry come closer. The poor boy probably thought he was in some kind of trouble, but then again when wasn't he?

"Sit down Harry and relax. You are not in trouble. I just wanted to see how you were doing in class since this is your first day back."

Harry sat down in the closest desk to his Professor's, but her words did not seem to soothe him the way she had intended them to. He _had_ had a lot of trouble in class today, and quite frankly; he was embarrassed. He just didn't understand why he was having so much trouble keeping up. He did everything else the other kids were doing, maybe he really should have done what Pam had taught him.

When she saw that the boy was still on edge Minerva came out from behind her desk and sat next to the child in another desk. Merlin, she really needed to start bugging Albus for new desks again, these things were awful!

"It's ok Harry. I saw that you were having a little trouble. Do you want to tell me what exactly was giving you problems so I can make sure to give you extra help when I come around?"

Harry gave a small nod. "I..I was having trouble remembering what I read in the text so the worksheet was hard...and everything seemed to be just going so...fast."

Minerva nodded. She couldn't slow down the entire class for just Harry, but she could help him with his worksheet when she walked around. She had to remember to walk around some more, maybe that would help more than just Harry understand things a little better. She had walked around a bit today and had actually helped quite a few mistakes that would have been missed ,otherwise.

She then had a brain storm and got up from where she was next to Harry. Quickly she walked behind her desk and ruffled some papers as if she was looking for something. When she found what she was looking for, she walked back and handed the parchment to the child.

"I want you to go over this worksheet with Pam when you see her tonight, ok? I can see some of the answers are not filled in, maybe she can help you with those."

Harry smiled and nodded. He had only been able to answer half the questions on that sheet properly so he was happy that he would be able to finish it. He knew it wasn't a large part of his grade, but every little bit helped, right?

Taking the paper he put it in his bag next to his transfiguration text and stood up from his desk.

"Thank you ma'am."

You're welcome Mr. Potter. Now run along to your next class."

Harry nodded and almost ran out of the classroom. He knew he was already late and that he had been excused already, but he still wanted to get there before he missed anything too important. It was hard enough for him to catch up, he didn't want to make it any harder by missing more than he had too.

As he was walking/running through the halls though his scar started to hurt; badly. More than just hurt though, it felt like his whole forehead was going to explode. The pain made him stop in the hall almost immediately and that's when he heard it. Someone was talking. He looked around and saw no one in the halls, and then he heard it again making his head hurt even worse. Was he hearing things? No, this was something more, this was like someone was yelling at him and it just kept getting louder and louder.

"Kill, kill, kill, kill..."

As the voice grew louder in Harry's head and without really even knowing it his knees sank to the floor. With the intense pain rushing through his head Harry finally took one hand that was clutching his head and slowly moved it down to the pendent around his neck. He needed help, now! His head was going to burst open and that voice scared him.

After calling for Severus, Harry's hand flew back to clutch his throbbing head and he leaned over his knees trying to create as small a ball as he could. His head hadn't hurt this much since last year when he had met Voldemort.

About ten minutes later Severus had come running towards the small creature hugging his knees on the floor. Unbeknownst to the man the poor boy was still hearing voices, and Harry was not very frightened. This time the voice was going on about eating something juicy and sweet and how fun it was to break the bones. He was not beginning to think the voice was talking about him; he didn't want to be eaten!

At that though Harry felt sick to his stomach and as soon as Severus came close enough so that he could pick Harry up the poor child threw up all his breakfast on Severus's shoes. Severus just ignored the stench and mess though cleaning it up with a quick Scourgify. With newly practiced ease he picked the child up into his arms and held him while he examined the now open scar. What he saw on the child alarmed him greatly. There was blood everywhere.

"Harry! Harry, child can you hear me?"

No response came from the child so Severus did the only thing he could think to do he called Don and started to walk quickly towards their rooms. He had to get Harry somewhere where he could lie down so they could examine him more closely. What if the child had fallen and had hit his head that he had caused a concussion?

All the while Severus carried the child down to his rooms Harry was crying out not only in pain, but in confusion, and fear. He didn't know what was happening and where that voice was coming from and that scared him a great deal. When he didn't know what was going on that usually meant that something bad was going to happen. One thing he was thankful for though was that the voice was slowly moving away. It was slowly getting quieter and when they reached their destination the voice was only a memory; albeit a very scary one.

As soon as they reached their rooms Don met them at the door and quickly took Harry into his arms. Gently he placed the child on the couch and pried the child's hands away from his head so he could see what was wrong. When the Healer saw the bloody mess he summoned up a warm wet washcloth, some healing creams and bandages so he could take care of it. He saw it for what it was, no bumps or scrapes the boy's scar had just split open. While this was not the worst thing that could have happened, it was still a serious injury and had to be treated as such.

While he was gently wiping away all the blood Don tried to reach the scared child.

"Harry, if you can hear me please squeeze my hand."

When Harry didn't respond Don turned to Severus and asked for him to bring a pain potion immediately. Harry was in too much pain from his scar to hear anyone properly.

With the potion now in his hand Don gently pried open Harry's mouth and poured the thick liquid down the boy's throat. Gently he helped the boy swallow and was relieved when he saw Harry start to calm down bit.

"Harry, I need to know if you can hear me. If you can please squeeze my hand."

This time the Healer's hand was weakly squeezed and Severus almost collapsed back into a chair in sheer relief. It had scared him greatly when Harry was not responding to anyone. He had been more than worried when the pendent around his neck had begun to heat up and had rushed out of his classroom full of students to reach him. Alarm had hit him though as soon as he saw the boy on the floor clutching his head as if his life had depended on it.

As gentle as ever Don continued to wipe away the blood from the boy's scar and then began to apply the healing cream and bandages to it. He worked slowly and diligently on purpose, he did not want to give the child another fright.

"Harry, can you tell me what happened? Why your scar split open?"

Slowly the tears died away and Harry gave a small nod. "I...I...was going to class...and...and I...I heard a voice...it...it...hurt my head..."

Don looked over to Severus and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, the Healer gently picked up the boy and sat down with his in his lap. Leaning the boy down so that he was resting on his shoulder Don started to gently rub the boy's back and send a touch of calming magic into him.

"Can you tell me what the voice was telling you Harry? Was it telling you to hurt yourself?"

Harry turned his head into Don's chest, shook his head, and started to shiver a little. The Healer looked over at Severus concerned before he reached down and started to try to soothe the boy some more. When the Healer realized that this was going to take some time he looked up again to Severus and mouthed a silent 'go to your class' and before the man could protest Don sent him a look that left no arguments.

Sighing the man got up from where he had collapsed and went over to the two on the couch. Very carefully he bent down over the child and placed a gentle kiss on the back of the boy's head.

"I'm going to go now Harry, but if you need or want me just tell Don and I will come."

With his face, still in Don's chest Harry's head moved up and down a little to acknowledge that he had heard. With that nod Severus shared another significant look with the Healer and then took his leave. He had after all left his class under the supervision of a prefect while he was gone.

As soon as Severus left, Don pulled the child away from his chest a bit so that he could brush away the new tears that had formed in his eyes.

"Hush now Harry, everything is alright. I need you to tell me what that voice told you though, this is very important."

Harry made a move to bury his head again into the man's chest, but Don kept a steady hand on the boy and would not let him move. When Harry realized that there was no other option, but to tell this man what he had heard he started to cry a little harder. He was scared that Don would think he was crazy and would lock him up. After all, that is what you did to a crazy person, you locked them away so you would not have to see them again.

Don heaved a small sigh when he saw more tears continue to flow and started to reconsider pushing the boy so that he would tell. He needed to know, but was the child up for this right now? Sighing he realized he could not back down now though, he had pushed this far and it looked as if the child might be ready to tell.

"Come on child, I know you can do this for me. Tell me what it told you."

That did Harry in. The Healer let the child fall back into him when he saw that Harry was indeed going to tell him and let a bit of soothing magic flow through his hands into the boy.

"It...kept chanting...kill...kill...kill...and...and...then it was talking about how fun it was to break bones...and how...how juicy and sweet...blood was..."

Harry was almost beyond consolable now. He just buried his head into Don's chest, and the Healer let him. As he did so Don held onto the child a little tighter and started to rock the boy and whisper soothing words into his ear trying to calm him the best he could.

On the outside Don was the perfect picture of calm and collected, but inside his mind was going nearly ninety miles a minute. Was this child schizophrenic or was this something else? If he was then why had he not caught this earlier? Had there been any other signs? What should he do now? Should he be taken back to the clinic? Should he stay here and continue to go to classes? Maybe classes were out of the picture for now. Maybe he just needed some more rest. The big question though was, why had his scar spilt open like that? The only other time it had done that was at the end of last year when well...you know.

The words that the voice had said the Harry troubled the Healer greatly though. It was telling him to kill or at least that is what it seemed like to him. Why was it talking about how sweet blood was though? Had Harry even tasted blood before?

Don did decide on one thing though. He needed to put Harry to sleep so he could figure something out and so that the child would not over work himself. It was almost a relief to see Harry so upset by those words though; otherwise, they could have a real problem on their hands.

Summoning a dreamless sleep potion gently brought the vial to the boy's lips. Carefully he poured it down the boy's throat while rubbing his back silently willing for the whole thing to go down. Within minutes, the boy was fast asleep.

Getting up Don walked to where he knew the boy's bed was and gently deposited him on top of the sheets. He took of the child's shoes, and magically he switched the boy's clothing for more comfortable pajamas. When he was done he picked the boy up again, pulled back the covers and placed the boy into the bed.

After one last check to see that Harry was comfortable and had his small kneezle and lion were near, he went to the fireplace to floo Albus. He needed to talk to someone, and he knew Albus would be able to look at all angles of this.

* * *

><p>By the way the story about Snape's Grandmother is true, except it was my Great Grandmother and I added the part about magic and being at Hogwarts.<p> 


	15. Snakes

Another chapter written! Thank you for all the reviews!

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I see many calming potions in Severus's future. I know the scar bursting open was a little dramatic, but I needed something that would worry Severus besides the voices.

Joanne Brandon - Thank you. I really am enjoying writing this story and I've been thinking of writing a prequel. Maybe when this is finished I'll write a little something. :)

Not bothering to check to see whether Albus was in his office or not, Don flooed through to his office as soon as he reached the fireplace. When he did reach the Headmaster's office, he was slightly irritated that the man was not there as he had hoped. The rational part of his mind knew that Albus was a busy man, but the worried side just wanted answers from the man.

Sighing, Don sat down in the visitor's chair to wait for the older wizard. He had a feeling that Albus could come at any moment, and he was too anxious to talk to the man to wait for another time. This was important and concerned the health of the child under his care.

Settling down to wait Don closed his eyes for a moment, but in the next he found himself being shaken awake by a gentle hand. Had he really fallen asleep? Opening his eyes he was slightly revealed to see Albus before him with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Don, may I ask why you are sleeping in my office?"

Waking up a bit more Don shook the gentle hand from his shoulder. "I'm sorry Albus I came to speak with you about something and thought I had just closed my eyes for a moment. I guess I should have listened to Pam this morning and taken that nap she kept pestering me about."

Albus nodded, but still kept a close eye on the Healer. He could tell something was amiss with the man. Inwardly sighing Albus sat down in the chair next to Don's resigned to his fate of more bad news.

"I'm sorry Don; I was trying to get the adoption papers in order for Severus and Harry. What was it that you wished to speak with me about?"

Don sighed and looked up at Albus while he tried with all his might to will away to worry he felt in his heart. "There was an incident with Harry today on his way to charms."

Albus again nodded. "Filius informed me that Harry never made it to class. I thought that he might have just had gone down to the dungeons. I take it that is not the case?"

Worry was now creeping into the old man's voice and Don was partially regretting bringing up this subject with the man. But, Don trudged on and told Albus what had happened today complete with him sending Severus back to his classes and Harry telling him about the voice he had heard.

As Don spoke Albus sank back further in his chair in thought. When the Healer stopped speaking and looked at Albus almost expectantly the old wizard sighed and voiced his thoughts.

"I think I know what might have happened, but I will need to see Harry before I know for sure. I don't think it is schizophrenia, but I don't want to divulge too much before I know for sure."

Don nodded in understanding. There was no need to worry over something that might not be true in the first place, and he was slightly grateful that the older wizard had decided not to burden him with something that might not be true.

"Harry is asleep in his room. He should awaken in an hour or so, around the time classes end."

Albus got off his chair. "Then now might be the perfect time."

Don got up as well, but was a little confused. Albus wanted to talk to Harry didn't he? If he were to talk to Harry, he would have to wake the boy up. Sighing Don decided to just go along with what the man wanted for now at least.

The two quickly flooed back down to Severus's quarters and when they reached Severus's rooms they predeceased to Harry's. Before they reached Harry's room though, Don placed a hand on Albus's shoulder so that he would turn to look at him.

"Are you going to wake him? I gave him a pretty strong sleeping potion."

Albus sadly shook his head. "No, I will not wake him. I was going to look inside his mind, and it is better if I do this while he is asleep. He can brush it off as a dream if he remembers my presence."

Don quirked an eyebrow. "You're going to perform Legilimency the boy? Could that be dangerous?"

Albus shook his head. "If he were awake it would be, but since he is asleep he will be fine. I am just going to look into his mind and see exactly what happened and what he heard, nothing more."

While letting out a sigh of relief, Don nodded. Hearing the sigh Albus turned and looked the Healer in the eyes while placing a calming hand on his shoulder. "Would it make you feel better if you watched over us?"

Don nodded and Albus gently led the man into the child's room and into the chair that was by Harry's bedside. While Don was getting settled Albus sat next to the boy on the bed and gently made sure he was tightly wrapped up in his blankets. He was going to place Harry on his lap to make this a bit easier for the both of them, but he didn't want the boy to get a chill. In the next moment Albus picked the boy up, blanket and all, and gently sat him sideways on his lap. He then expertly with his free hand lifted the boy's eyelids and muttered the spell that would allow him to enter Harry's mind.

When Albus again opened his eyes he was in a very dark room with a dim light coming from the ceiling. It almost looked like a bare bulb with a simple draw string to turn it on and off. Turning his attention Albus started to look for Harry. He had to be in here somewhere, this was his mind after all.

"Harry?"

The man received no answer though, just a small gust of cold wind. Looking around some more Albus called again, but this time Albus heard a small whimper coming somewhere to his left in the dark. With concern speeding his steps along Albus walked quickly to where he had heard the slight noise.

"Harry, child is that you?"

What the Headmaster found frightened him more than he would ever care to admit. He saw Harry curled up in a tight ball on the floor as if he were trying to protect himself from being hit. Kneeling down Albus gently picked the boy up and placed him on his lap hugging him to his body.

"It's Professor Dumbledore Harry. No one here will hurt you."

Albus was slightly relieved when Harry's body relaxed slightly when he heard him announce himself.

"Uncle?"

Albus sighed and for the millionth time since the beginning of this year cursed himself for ever placing this child with those horrible people.

"No Harry, your Uncle is not here and if he were I would never let him near you. I will never let anyone hurt you again."

Harry nodded and sat up in Albus's lap, but still clung to the man as if his life depended on it. Getting a better look at Harry it seemed that the child in Harry's mind was much younger than Harry in real life. He had only head of this happening in people who had not had real childhoods growing up; they needed to relive what they lost in their own minds to stay sane. Again Albus cursed himself.

All those thoughts stopped though when Harry looked at him with bright green eyes. They were beautiful and not dulled by having seen so much hurt in his young life. If only the Harry on the outside still had that innocence. Gently smiling Albus brushed back the hair that kept obstructing the boy's face.

"Hi there, Harry. May I ask how old you are?"

Harry thought for a moment looking down at his hands. Then, tentatively Harry held up six small fingers.

"I'm this many."

Albus sighed a little. Nothing could be simple could it? Then, looking back down at the child he smiled.

"Very good Harry! Do you think you could answer a few more questions of mine?"

Harry nodded, but looked a little nervous so gently Albus hugged the child a little closer to him to try to reassure him.

"It's ok Harry. I just want to know whether there is anyone else in here? Do you have any friends who come from time to time?"

Harry slowly shook his head and Albus let out a small sigh in relief. That meant that the child truly was not schizophrenic. It had to be something else then. On to plan B.

"Thank you for telling me that Harry. Now just one last question. Can you show me where all the memories from earlier today are kept?"

Harry looked down to his lap. "You want to see what happened before charms today."

Albus was impressed with this boy's perceptiveness. "Yes child, I do. I want to know what happened so that I can help you."

"Do...do I have to watch too?" Harry looked up to the Professor with scared eyes. He did not want to hear that voice ever again.

Albus reached down and rubbed the boy's back soothingly. "No child, you do not have to watch."

Harry nodded relieved and made to get off the man's lap. "The door is this way." Harry pointed to the right and the light from the ceiling swung back and forth a little making the room lighter in some places and darker in others.

Frowning Albus got off the ground and looked down at the small boy who was still in his arms. "May I ask where we are child? I fear I have never seen this place."

"We're inside my cupboard. That's where ungrateful freaks sleep, they don't deserve a good boy room."

The mater of fact way Harry told Albus where they were made Albus close his eyes for a moment and let out a small sigh. Gently he scooped the small boy into his arms and hugged him close to his chest. What the hell have they done to this child?

"You still don't believe that you are a freak, do you?"

Harry looked down and gave a small nod. "I know Sev'rus says that I am not and so does Don, but I know I am. Even the teachers at school said I was a freak, and I was dumber then a rock."

Albus hugged the boy a little closer to his chest. "Child, those people were lying to you. You are not a freak by any means, and you are very smart. I know that it's hard to believe us right now, but I hope one day you will."

No response came from Harry and Albus just pushed the child's cheek down to rest on his shoulder . With his arms full or Harry, Albus took a clump of lint from his pocket and transfigured it to look like the stuffed cat Severus had given him. Very gently Albus put it in the boy's hands and was glad to see Harry clutch onto the small toy.

"Come on now child, can you tell me where to go? I promise you I will leave you where you cannot see anything."

Harry nodded against the man's shoulder and pointed up ahead. "Just keep following the broken toys and you will come upon a door. The door opens quickly so don't get your fingers caught in the hinges."

Albus nodded. "Do you want to stay here child or would you like to come with me to the door?"

"I'll stay here, I don't want to hear that voice again."

"Ok then, let's put you down now. Do you have anywhere soft you can lie down?"

Harry gave a small nod and pointed to a small lumpy mattress that barely looked big enough for a baby. Sighing Albus put the boy on his feet, but before he turned to follow the trail of broken toys Albus pointed his wand at the boy's 'bed' and made it more comfortable for the child as well as enlarging it.

"There you go, Harry. Why don't you go play with shadow now?"

Harry nodded and happily ran over to his new comfortable bed with his new toy. Albus let a sad smile grace his face and then started to follow the broken toys as the child had instructed him to.

As he was following the toys Albus sighed at the implications that in Harry's mind either everything was dark or it was broken and shabby. As Albus walked he decided that he couldn't think too much about it too much, at least not now. Having an over emotional wizard in the mind of a child was not the best thing to help him heal. In fact, if his magic hot out of control in here it might cause the child to go insane. Magic had weird effects sometimes.

Reaching the end of the trail of broken toys Albus looked up and saw the door and sighed when he saw the chains that were locking the door. Carefully the man placed a hand on the lock that was holding the chains in place and called to Harry to open the door just for a moment so that he could see what happened. So he could help him.

To the man's great joy, it seemed that Harry had somehow heard his request and there and was soft clicking noise that signaled the lock unlocking. Opening his eyes and removing his hand Albus gently untangled the chains and opened the door just wide enough so that he could enter.

Inside, Albus was amazed by the utter chaos of the thoughts rushing by him in great flashes of light. Gathering his wits Albus blinked his eyes and looked around again to see whether he could step forward to find what he was looking for. It was a good thing that he had looked too for it seemed as if he was standing on the edge of a cliff, a very steep one too.

Again, the man sighed and resigned to stand there to try to search through the memories where he stood. He wouldn't invade the boy's privacy, as much as he would like to cure his curiosity he didn't want to make the boy distrust him, and he knew that peeking would start that slippery slope.

So very carefully Albus pulled out his wand and called "Accio memory, today after Transfiguration." He didn't know how specific he had to be so he thought he would play it on the safe side. Luckily, he had called the right memory to him as he could see the faint glint of the hall where Harry was found.

With another sigh Albus placed his wand in his pocket and pulled the memory closer to his face. Then, without further hesitation the man placed his head into the memory as if it were a vertical plate of water. Silently the man stood there and watched the entire incident as it unfolded. When he was done watching everything that happened Albus pulled his head out of the steady stream of thoughts and let the memory go back to wizz around with the others.

Carefully the man took the two steps back and stepped out of the door. He then made sure the lock, and chains were as he left them and leaned heavily against the door with his eyes closed.

Since he had been inside Harry's memories and Harry could speak parseltongue Albus could understand everything the snake had been saying. He also knew that it was indeed a snake that had been talking; it has been obvious how it had practically hissed out the words.

To say the least this latest development scared Albus, not only for Harry, but what it meant for the school. If that snake was what he thought it was then they were going to have to shut down the school before anyone was petrified or...killed. For at this moment Albus was putting two and two together and thinking of the events that had taken place long ago. Then too the birds had disappeared suddenly, and there was not a rat nor spider to be seen.

Sighing one last time Albus followed the trail of broken toys to where little Harry was. He wanted to make sure one last time that Harry was safe and sound. No wonder the child had been so upset after what had happened in that hallway. Merlin _he_ would be upset if he had heard that.

Reaching where he had left the child, Albus had let a small smile slip when he saw the boy on the bed clearly playing with the small toy he had transfigured for him. After another moment of just watching the child, Albus placed a bigger smile on his face and went to sit down next to Harry on the bed. When he sat down he had to suppress an even bigger smile as he saw Harry try to hide his toy and a blush. Gently the man pulled the toy back out from behind the boy's back and placed where it belonged on the child's lap.

"There is no need to hide your toy Harry. It's good to see you play with it."

Harry looked down and blushed some more. Albus couldn't suppress his smile anymore while he put an arm around Harry's shoulder.

"I have to get gong now Harry. Now, you keep Shadow safe for me and remember this has all been a dream."

Harry gave a small nod. "Will Shadow go away when this dream does?"

Again, Albus smiled down at the boy. "No Harry. He will still be here when the dream is over."

"Thank you sir."

"Your very welcome child. Now, I have to go."

Albus unwrapped his arm from Harry's shoulder and stood up from the side of the bed. Then, with one last look at the small child he nodded his head, closed his eyes and gently exited the child's mind.

As Albus was slowly waking up from his legilimency haze, he started to slowly recognize where he was. Sometimes after visiting someone's mind it was hard figuring out just where you were, just like if you traveled all the time and you woke up in the middle of the night trying to figure out what city you are in. First, the Headmaster felt the slight weight on his lap of the small child and then the tingling of his fingers that had fallen asleep holding Harry's eyes open. As he felt the tingling sensation, he gently drew back his hand and let the boy's eye lids fall back into their place. Then, noticing that his whole body was stiff and sore the old man made to move Harry back onto the bed, but before he could move a muscle Don was by his side moving Harry for him.

After moving the boy, Don gently helped the old wizard stand up and took much of his weight on his shoulders as his legs were not quite awake yet.

"Take it easy there Albus. You haven't moved from that position for more than a half hour. Come now let me get you to a comfortable chair and a glass of water."

Albus just nodded in consent and accepted that sometimes in his old age he could use some help. Don saw the small nod and began to lead the man out into the living room so they could sit more comfortably. When the Healer managed to get the older man in his seat, he quickly called a house elf and fortunately for him he didn't need to tell Tippy anything as she had been watching and popped in with the glass of water already in hand.

After thanking the elf, Don took the water, and handed it to Albus.

"Drink some Albus, and then please tell me what you learned."

Albus took a big sip and slowly nodded his head. "Do you want the good news, the slightly concerning news, or the bad news."

Don heaved a sigh and looked at Albus. Might as well get the bad news out of the way. "What is the bad news?"

Taking another sip of his water Albus looked at Don sitting next to him. "Well, I guess the good and the bad intertwine so I'll tell them both to you. The good news is that Harry does not have any mental disorders; he is not 'hearing voices' in his head. The bad news is he is hearing the rambling of a snake meaning that he is a parseltongue. That is not really bad news, but if the snake I think Harry is hearing is here at Hogwarts we will have to close down the school until it can be found."

Looking at the Healer confused Don arched an eyebrow. "What do you think Harry is hearing?"

Piercing the Healer with his bright blue eyes Albus hesitantly answered his question with a question. "Have you ever heard of the chamber of secrets?"

Slowly Don shook his head. "Not much, only that it was opened some years back."

Albus's eyes grew hazy as Don assumed he was being pulled back into his past. "Yes, it was opened. Fifty years ago. I was still just a teacher when it was opened, a girl died and lives were ruined that year. I don't know much more about the creature than that and that somehow it can get around the castle without being seen."

Don looked at Albus half in shock and half in fear for not just the small boy on the bed, but also for the students who might make a chance encounter with the beast. Slowly Don closed his eyes and lowered his face so that it rested in his hands.

"What are we going to do?"

Albus sighed as he was shaken out of his memory. "Well, for this week we will act as normal while I start to send out letters to parents explaining that next week the wards will have to be renewed so everyone will have to be sent home for a short amount of time. With Harry, that is up to you my dear friend."

Albus looked up at Don with a small smile. "You know I can only do so much to help a hurt child."

Don nodded his head and sighed. "Why do you always leave me the hard jobs?"

"Because you're good at it Don."

Don sighed again and shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if you chose the right person to watch over your boys."

"Don look at me!"

The Healer slowly rose his head to look at the man in front of him and winced slightly when he saw the determination in his eyes.

"I chose you over every other Healer at the clinic for one reason, and one reason only. You are the best at what you do. Have you spoken with Quin since we visited the Dursley's?"

"Thank you Albus and yes, I spoke with Quin that night."

"Good, now Severus will be back from classes soon. How mush do you want to tell him? How much do you think he can handle?"

Don looked at Albus and gave him somewhat of a scolding look. One of the older wizards faults was trying to keep things from people. The Healer knew that it was mostly out of good intention and that he hated to worry people, but it was a bad habit. People do not like being lied to or manipulated.

"We are telling him everything Albus. He has a right to know it all."

Albus sighed. "You are right Don. Do you want me to stay or do you want to inform him on what is happening by yourself?"

"It might be best if you stayed. He is likely to become upset, and I might need some help."

Albus nodded. "That is fine. Do you mind if I just go grab the adoption papers? Maybe I can finish those while we wait."

"Go ahead Albus. I'm going to go sit with Harry."

Albus stood up while nodding his head. He then walked over to the floo, but before he left he turned around and looked at Don.

"I'll be right back. Do you want me to get you anything?"

Don started to shake his head, but then nodded. "Actually can you grab some of that calming tea you keep in your office for Severus? I think we're going to need some."

Another nod came from Albus, and then he flooed to his office only to return minutes later with the paperwork and tea in hand. When Albus had come back through the floo he saw that the room was now empty as Don had gone into Harry's room to watch over him. So with a small sigh Albus sat down in front of the coffee table and sat down the paper work he had yet to complete. When he had everything down onto the table Albus summoned Tippy and asked for him to bring a teapot of hot water so that he could brew the tea.

Before the elf could pop back in with the teapot though, Severus came rushing into the room.

"Albus, why are you here?"

Albus let a small smile grace his face as he gently patted the seat next to him. The elf had popped back in, and Albus took his time adding the tea to the hot water. Before Albus could finish what he was doing with the tea though Severus slammed his fist down in the table.

"Dammit Albus, tell me what is wrong with Harry already!"

Calmly Albus set down the tea and cast a cleaning spell on what had spilled to the floor and table. He then looked up at Severus and gently placed a hand on Severus's.

"Calm down my boy. Don will be here in a moment, and then we can calmly discuss what happened in the hallway."

Severus closed his eyes and Albus could tell that the man was trying to control his breathing so that he would not explode. Finally, after a few moments Severus opened his eyes again and gave a small nod.

"I'm sorry Albus. I'm just worried; he...he was bleeding so much."

Albus gave the man a gentle smile. "I know my boy. Why don't you have some tea? It will help you relax."

Severus nodded and carefully accepted the cup of tea that Albus handed him. After a few sips of tea, Severus looked up to find that Don was now sitting across from him in a chair. Before Severus was even able to open his mouth to ask how Harry was, he was stopped by Don who rose his hand to silence him.

"Harry is fine Severus, and I have a monitoring charm on his so that I will know when he awakens. After you finish that tea, I'll tell you more about what happened."

Severus nodded and started to drink more of his tea. He was annoyed that they weren't telling him anything without making him drink this damn tea, but deep down he knew that if they wanted his to drink the tea first this must be something significant.

When Severus set down his tea cup Albus poured some more in it and gave the man a small smile when he saw Severus scowl at him.

"Do I have to drink this too before you tell me what is going on?"

Don smiled at Severus while he shook his head. "No Severus, just sip on it. It will keep you calm."

"Fine then. Now will you tell me what the matter is?"

Don sighed and looked up at Severus. He then began to explain very carefully what had happened to Harry and all about the voice he had heard. Albus then explained about going into the child's head and seeing what had happened in that hallway. When the two were finished filling Severus in, the man sank back into his chair and closed his eyes.

"I'm taking Harry home and that's final."

Albus nodded he had expected Severus to react this way. "Ok Severus, you can take him home in the morning. Let me go and make the house ready tonight first. I still have to do some things to make sure Harry will be comfortable there."

Severus nodded. "Can I go sit with him?"

Don nodded. "Yes Severus. Before you go though, I wanted to let you know that Mrs. Landow has agreed to have tea with the two of you this Saturday. Do you think you still want to meet up with her after today?"

With a small sigh Severus gave a hesitant nod. "I think Harry would benefit from the meeting even more now."

"Very well then. I'll write down her address for you."

"Thank you."

Severus then stood up and made his way to the bedroom Harry was resting in. After the man had left, Don looked at Albus.

"That went better then expected."

Albus held up a small vial of calming potion that was half-empty. Seeing the vial Don rose an eyebrow and shook his head. Albus just returned the raised eyebrow with one of his own and a shrug of the shoulders.

"What?"

"You are one sneaky old man. Smart, but sneaky."

Albus grinned and put the vial back in his pocket. "Are you ok here with Severus and Harry? I need to finish this paperwork and the letters that have to be sent out to the parents."

"Yes Albus go on. I'll make sure these two eat something even if it's just soup."

Albus got out of his chair and as he was moving towards the floo he placed a gentle hand on Don's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will Albus. Remember to get some rest tonight."

Albus just nodded his head before he walked through the floo. He knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight. As he sat down in his chair behind the desk Albus sighed. He had not yet shared all the news that the Healer should know. The man already had too much on his plate tonight, he would share the concerning information about the broken toys and the dark cupboard tomorrow. There was little they could do now anyway.

After Albus left Severus's rooms, Don got up and walked quietly to where his two boys were in Harry's room. Stopping in the doorway Don smiled as he watched Severus run his long fingers through Harry's hair and gently caress the boy's cheek occasionally.

Smiling Don entered the room and came to sit in the chair by Harry's bed as Severus was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling Severus?"

Not stopping soothing the child Severus looked over at Don.

"I'm scared Don. I know we were only joking about keeping Harry out of trouble, but he really is a magnet for danger. How am I supposed to keep him safe? He was only walking to his class, and this happened!"

Don placed a calming hand on Severus's back. "You have help Severus; you're not alone."

Severus's hand did stop soothing the boy now, and it came up to cover his face. Don felt under his hand Severus's back heave in a silent sob. Sighing Don got up while removing his hand from Severus's back. He then gently lifted Severus up onto his feet by his armpits and let the man turn and collapse into his arms.

Gently Don rubbed soothing circles on the man's back as he quietly cried out his fears.

"It's ok Severus; it's ok."

For ten minutes, the two men stood that way. Then, Severus pulled back, and silently wiped away the tears with a handkerchief he had dug out from his pocket. Don let him, but still kept Severus close. As Severus tucked the handkerchief back into his pocket Don could clearly see the man's red rimmed eyes. With a small smile Don placed a hand on Severus's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Feel better now?"

"Thank you Don."

"You know that is unnecessary Severus, but you're welcome. Now have a seat and I'll go get something for you to eat. Harry should be waking soon, but I don't know whether he will be up to eating anything just yet."

Severus did as Don told him and sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed. The next moment though it seemed that Don did not have to leave of call a house elf because Tibby had already popped in with a tray in her arms.

Smiling down at the elf Don took the tray. "Thank you Tibby and thank the Headmaster for me."

"Tibby will sir! Does Master Healer need anything else?"

"No Tibby, but thank you."

With that, the small elf popped away and Don walked over to Severus placing the tray on his lap.

"Drink your potion Severus and then please try to eat a little something."

Obediently Severus drank his potion and picked up his spoon to placed it in the stew the elf had brought him. As Severus followed his instructions Don pulled up another chair and placed it next to Severus. Sitting down Don watched as Severus simply played with his food.

"Please stop playing with your food Severus."

Sighing Severus lifted the spoon and put some in his mouth. After a few more bites, the man put the spoon down again and started to push away the bowl with a sigh.

"Is your stomach upset?"

Slowly Severus nodded. "Please don't make me eat anymore."

Don sighed. "Alright Severus, can you drink a nutrient supplement for me then?"

Severus nodded while he banished away the tray. He would have done it before, but he knew doing so without Don's ok would have left him with a lecture from the Healer. As Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try to calm his stomach Don stood up and went into the other room.

When the Healer came back into the room, he had two vials of potions in his hands. Coming over he sat back down next to Severus and placed a gentle hand on the man's arm.

"I have a stomach soother here for you Severus."

Opening his eyes Severus grabbed the potion and downed it in one go. Don really hated seeing Severus like this. Whenever the man became this upset, his emotions went haywire making his body react along with the upset. When Severus did something he never did anything half-assed that was sure, and this was no different.

"Ok Severus now the nutrient potion."

Severus nodded and took the potion drinking it down quickly. He then handed the two empty vials back to Don while he turned back to look at Harry. With a sigh Don placed another hand on Severus's arm to give it a gentle squeeze.

"Everything will be fine Severus. Do you have any papers to grade?"

If Don could distract Severus then he would. It was not healthy for Severus to worry so much.

"No."

Don sighed. "Ok then Severus."

An hour later there was a slight stir from the child on the bed. Insistently Severus woke up from his daze and moved to sit on edge of Harry's bed. Tenderly the man stroked the boy's hair back. In just a few minutes, the boy's eyes opened and looked fearfully up at Severus.

When Severus saw the fear he whispered gentle reassurances to the boy, and Harry began to relax slightly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes child?"

"Are you mad at me?"

Severus sighed, but gave the child a weak smile. "No child. Why do you think I would be?"

Harry looked over at the wall, and his eyes clouded over. "I...I did something...freaky."

Severus's eyebrows drew together in confusion and stole a glance at Don to see whether he knew what Harry was talking about. When the Healer slightly shrugged his shoulders Severus looked back down at Harry.

"What do you mean Harry?"

"Are...are you going to send me back to the Dursleys?"

Bringing his hand up to cup Harry's cheek Severus turned the boy's head and made it so that he could only look into his face.

"I will never send you back there Harry. I promise you that, and I do not make promises I cannot keep."

Tears were now entering Harry's eyes. Severus sighed and was grateful that Harry was still wrapped up in the blanket Albus had him wrapped in when he lifted him onto his lap. Gently Severus lifted Harry up and deposited him on his lap hugging the child to him tightly. Not only comforting the child, but he was also making sure that Harry was truly all right for himself.

Harry comfortably laid his head on Severus's shoulder. "There's something wrong with me. Why was I hearing that voice?"

Holding the child close to him Severus looked Harry directly in the eyes. The three had not discussed what they should tell the child about his new found ability so Severus tried as best as he could to explain the situation very gently.

"It's complicated Harry, but there is nothing wrong with you. It seems that you have a special gift. You are a parseltongue, meaning you can talk to snakes."

"Not...not everyone can do that?"

"You knew that you could speak to snakes?"

Slowly Harry nodded his head. "When...when I went to the zoo with the Dursleys, a snake talked to me, and I accidentally set him free. That means I'm even more of a freak doesn't it?"

Stroking the child's back gently Severus shook his head. "No Harry you are not a freak. This is a gift Harry, a very special gift."

Tears were again threatening to spill from Harry's eyes, and the child turned to bury his face in Severus's robes.

"Hey now, everything is ok. There is no need for tears child."

As Severus was trying to comfort the child Don came over and sat next to the two on the bed. When he felt that the child was calm enough Don placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Harry turned his head and looked over at Don.

Smiling warmly Don looked into Harry's eyes. "Hi there Harry. How are you feeling?"

"I...I don't know."

Gently Don patted the boy on the shoulder. "That's ok Harry. I wanted to tell you that tomorrow you and Severus are going to go home for a few weeks. Albus has gone to make up your room and get everything ready."

Harry gave a weary nod against Severus's shoulder. "So...what was the voice? Was it a snake?"

Both the Healer and Severus gave a small nod, but it was Don who continued for Severus for it seemed the man could not at this moment. "It was a snake Harry. A very large one, but I don't want you to worry about that, ok?"

Again Harry gave a small nod. "I...I can't go back to school?"

Don sighed and shared a look with Severus. "Harry, everyone will be going home next week. That snake that was talking is very dangerous and thanks to you hearing it we know that it has been let loose."

Again, Harry gave a small nod, but then turned his head so that he was looking at Severus.

"Daddy, will you still be teaching?"

Severus looked over at Don and then nodded. "During the day I will teach, but Pam or Don will come by to stay with you so you're not alone. Maybe we can use this time to catch you up even more."

Harry relaxed even more in Severus's arms, and the man smiled a little.

"Are you hungry child?"

Harry nodded a little.

Severus smiled down at Harry. "Why don't you get cleaned up then and then we'll sit down at the table and have a little something to eat. Your tummy must be hungry you haven't had anything to eat since this morning."

Harry made a move to get up so Severus helped Harry get untangled from the blanket and then down onto his feet. Severus then got his own feet and gently pushed Harry towards the bathroom.

As soon as Harry left the room Don placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder. "You did well Severus, but you know he's going to ask questions."

Severus sighed. "I know and I'll tell him what we know. I want him to feel comfortable enough to ask though instead of me overflowing him with information."

"And that is why you are the best person for Harry. Now, do you think you can eat a little more since Harry is going to eat at the table?"

Again Severus sighed. "I'll try."

Don gave Severus's shoulder a small, comforting squeeze. "Let's go and ask the elves for something then."

Severus nodded and the two started to walk towards the table. When they reached their destination they both sat down, and Don called Tippy for some food. After the elf smiled knowingly, nodded, and then popped away food appeared on the table enough for three of them.

Moments later Harry came out of the bathroom and sat down in his chair dressed in new clothes and had a wet head of hair.

Smiling at Harry Severus pushed the plates of food a little closer to the boy. "Go ahead and eat Harry, you missed lunch and you need all the food you can get."

Harry nodded and after drinking a whole glass of milk he picked up his fork to eat. While the boy was eating his food Severus threw him small glances between taking bites of his own food. When Severus saw that Harry was almost finished the man put down his fork and looked over at Harry.

"Harry?"

The child looked up at his guardian curiously.

"I know you must have questions Harry. You can ask me anything you want anytime, ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and picked up his fork to eat some more of his food. Don looked over at Severus and gave the man a nod in approval. He knew that Severus didn't really want to answer those questions, but he would, and he was proud of him for doing so.

The rest of the meal went without incident, and Don left shortly after knowing that Harry was in good hands and that Severus would call him if he needed any help. After banishing away the plate's Severus pulled out the paper Minerva had told him about from Harry's bag and placed it in front of Harry.

"Why don't you work on this for a little bit and then we can play a game of chess. Alright? Pam is not coming by tonight, but you'll see her tomorrow."

Harry gave a small nod and glanced down at the paper. As he did so Severus let a small sigh escape his lips.

"Do you need help reading the book?"

Nodding Harry looked up at Severus a little ashamed. Severus only smiled down at Harry and moved his chair a bit closer to the boy.

"No need to be ashamed Harry. Why don't you read the chapter to me out loud?"

Harry opened the book to the right spot and started to read to Severus. The two continued to read and work on Harry's transfiguration work for a while until Severus noticed Harry's eyes drooping. Although Harry had slept for a while today, it had still been a stressful day for him, and he was bound to be tired.

After letting Harry finish his homework, Severus placed a gentle hand on Harry's. "I can see your sleepy Harry. Why don't we postpone our game of chess till tomorrow?"

Harry let a yawn escape and nodded with a small smile.

"Go get in your pajamas Harry and I'll be in to tuck you in in a few moments."

Harry nodded and packed away his school things in his bag before hopping down off the chair and running off to his room.

Severus just smiled and shook his head after the boy. One moment he was a scared little boy, the next he could be a child who knew more than he should and then there were moments like this where he acted his age. Those moments Harry acted like any other boy his age warmed Severus's heart and made him wish that he could act that way all the time.

With another smile Severus shook himself out of his thoughts and started to walk to Harry's room. When he entered he was pleased to see Harry getting into bed and pulling up the covers over himself.

Walking over Severus sat on the edge of Harry's bed and pulled the covers up a bit more so they covered the boy's shoulders.

"Sweet dreams Harry."

"Goodnight daddy, I love you."

Harry held his breath and waited for Severus to reply. He had not openly said that before, and he was a little scared that the man would not reply.

Severus smiled though, and bent down to place a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

"I love you too Harry. Now go to sleep, tomorrow you get to see your new home."

Harry nodded and closed his eyes sleepily while Severus smiled and pulled both the small black cat plushy and lion plushy close to the child so that he could hug them if he wanted. The man was rewarded when Harry reached out and drew the small cat close to him and then rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately.

Severus smiled at the sight and gently brushed the hair out the sleeping child's face, before he got up from the bed and headed towards the door. When he was just about out the door Severus noxed the lights and cracked the door slightly, but not before placing a monitoring charm on Harry so that he would know whether he woke in distress.

When he was outside Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes. It had been a long day, and he needed some rest himself. So Severus walked to his own room and got ready for bed himself falling asleep just before his head hit his pillow. Too bad Severus would be getting little sleep tonight as well.

p.s. Not to give anything away, but future chapters will be dealing more with the Basilisk. ;)


	16. The Chamber

Thank you for all the reviews! Sorry this chapter is so long, a lot happens and thats the only hint I'm giving! ;)

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - You might see that snake soon, maybe. ;) As for staying in school, Albus didn't want to concern the students or parents and cause a panic.

metaphoricheart - No, he is still twelve years old. Because of all the abuse in his life the little person in his mind is younger than he is. He is trying to somewhat regain his childhood.

SlytherinHawkins105 - Thank you for that correction! Stupid me listened to spell check!

Joanne Brandon - Thank you!

HeartsGlow - Sorry I'm going to slow for you.

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><p>In the middle of the night Harry woke up with a start. The alarm Severus casted did not warn Severus to Harry awaking mainly because he did not awake in distress. Clearly there was a flaw in the spell. Sleepily Harry sat up in bed and somewhat in a trance he swung his legs off the side of the bed. Somehow, something was drawing him to his school bag. Getting off the bed Harry went over to the desk to where he had haphazardly thrown his school bag and started to dig inside looking for the object that was calling to him.<p>

When Harry found the journal, he walked back to his bed and sat down with it in his lap. Curiosity getting the better of him he opened up the journal and saw that it was nothing, but a blank book. He flipped it to the first page and then all the way to the back of the book and saw nothing was written. Shrugging his shoulders Harry started to put down the book, but the pull became so strong that Harry found he could not.

The book wanted him to write something in it. How he knew this he had no idea, but it was like a small voice in his head telling him that he must write something. Not being able to banish the idea of writing in the book Harry got off his bed again and went over to his desk.

Setting the book down on the desk Harry pulled out a quill and ink and opened to the first page. Not really knowing what exactly to write Harry jotted down, "Hello, my name is Harry Potter."

To Harry's surprise his ink faded into the journal and a set of curly letters appeared to replace what he had written. "Hi Harry, I'm Tom Riddle." After he read what it said, the words slowly disappeared back into the page.

Harry put his quill down on the desk in pure shock. His other journal did not write back to him so how could this one? He knew it must be magic, but still it was surreal even with that in mind.

Shortly he thought of going to Severus to ask him about it, but then remembered how late it was and how tired the man had been looked. He didn't want to bother his new daddy, he didn't want Severus to think him too much trouble and send him back to the Dursleys. Sure the man had said he never would send him back to his family, but everybody lied about something and he didn't want to risk it.

Before another thought popped in the young boy's mind about fetching someone, another curly script appeared before his eyes on the page of the journal. "Are you a student at Hogwarts?"

Slowly Harry nodded, but then realized that the journal could not see him nodding so he picked up his quill and wrote in the neatest letters he could. "Yes, I am. Are you a student too? What house are you in? I'm in Gryffindor."

As his ink slowly disappeared into the page of the book Harry had a sudden strong desire to know more about the person he was writing to. It was almost like a compulsion charm. Quickly, but not fast enough for Harry, new writing appeared on the page. "I was a student a long time ago. The reason I ask is, I know something terrible is going to happen tonight, and I was hoping for a brave young boy to find me so that we could put a stop to it."

Harry's eyebrows rose into his hairline as he read that. Someone wanted_ his_ help? That though soon vanished though, and Harry's natural bravery kicked in. Someone apparently was in trouble and needed his help.

Without further thought Harry jotted down, "What can I do to help?"

Twenty minutes Harry found himself going through the sinks in the girl's third floor bathroom and climbing down a long tunnel with the strange journal in his hand. Tom had told him the Ginny Weasley had come down here a few hours ago searching for something she had lost and had gotten lost herself. If she were to stay down here too long, she could get lost even further in the maze of tunnels. Tom had told him exactly where to go though, and how to get out so Harry knew he could help Ginny out. He didn't want her to get in trouble or get hurt.

Trudging through the tunnels with the diary clutched close to his chest Harry periodically would stop and write where he was with Tom replying to him almost intently telling him what turns to make. In the back of his mind Harry started to wonder if Tom really was helping him through the tunnels though for it seemed that the deeper they got the more lost he became, but then quickly shrugged that thought away as he thought of Ginny lost down there all by herself. He just had to help her.

* * *

><p>As Harry was wondering down under the school in the tunnels, Albus Dumbledore was quickly gathering all the Professors to help search for a missing girl. Normally, just the Headmaster and Head of House would search for the wayward student, but now with the information of the chamber being opened again they were taking every precaution until they could safely get all the student's home.<p>

They didn't want to alarm the students or parents to any danger, specially the muggle borns, so he had made up the story about the wards needing to be worked on next week. He hated to wait that long to get all the students to safety, but if he sent everyone home earlier surely there would be a panic.

So Albus had sent off all the other Professors to search for the child around the castle and had left waking up Severus for last. He flooed down to the man's room regretting that he had to wake man up after the day that he had, but he really had no other choice. They needed every pair of ears and eyes looking; he did not want what had happened fifty years ago happening ever again. Quietly he knocked on the man's bedroom door and frowned a little when he received no answer. When he tried again with the same result Albus ignored the fact that he was barging into the man's bedroom in the middle of the night and entered.

Quickly the man walked over to the bed and started to shake Severus's shoulder gently.

"Severus, you need to wake up. Come on Severus."

Slowly Severus's eyes opened up and were looking at Albus with a confused look. Then, Albus sadly recognized the look of panic in the man's eyes.

"Harry? Is there something wrong with Harry?"

"No child, Harry is fine. I need your help. Ginny Weasley has gone missing, and I need your help finding her."

The Headmaster might have sounded calm and collected, but the worry clearly crept through to the man's eyes. Seeing the worry there Severus sat up in bed and nodded. Although he hated being woken up in the middle of the night like this, it was far better than finding a child who had been petrified or worse.

"Let me put something on and check on Harry. I will be the Great Hall in a moment."

Albus nodded. "I will wait for you in the living room. I don't think anyone should wonder by themselves just now. I split everyone else up in teams to search."

"Ok Albus, give me a moment then."

Again, Albus nodded while he quickly left the room shutting the door behind him. Not a moment later Severus emerged from his room dressed in his teaching robes and went quickly over to Harry's room.

Opening the door all the way and crossing to the bed Severus was alarmed to find no child in bed.

"Harry!"

Hearing Severus exclamation Albus came in the room and closed his eyes when he saw the empty bed. Now, they had two missing children to search for.

"Severus, did you place an alarm on Harry last night?"

"Yes I did Albus; it would allow me to know whether he awoke. It never went off though. Do you think he left our rooms? Could he be hiding?"

Albus shook his head. "I'm not sure Severus."

In the next moment Severus drew his wand and shouted. "Point me Harry"

No response came from his wand. So Severus knew that Harry was indeed not anywhere in his quarters. If he had been then, the wand would have pointed them right towards the boy.

Albus watched as Severus visibility fell apart before his eyes. His knees buckled, and soon he was on the floor. The Headmaster sighed and quickly went over to the man; they didn't have time for this. Two children were now out wandering the halls when this dangerous creature was out there somewhere.

As soon as Albus reached Severus he placed a hand around the pendent that rested on Severus's neck and called for Don.

"Calm down Severus and help me find Harry. We do not have time for this."

Severus took a shaky breath, but nodded and collected himself up off the floor.

"Ok Albus where do you need me to look?"

"Every part of the castle is being searched except for the third floor. Don is coming in a moment, and then we can start searching, ok? We will find Harry, and he will be fine."

Severus gave a small shaky nod. His child was missing from his bed; something dreadful could have happened to him.

In the next moment Don entered the room in a hurry.

"What is the matter?"

Albus calmly explained to Don what was happening while Severus just looked out into the distance with slightly glassy eyes. When the Healer looked over to the man, he sighed and placed a steady hand on each of his shoulders. Slowly he started to send calming magic into the man to get him ready to help in the search. While he did so Albus sent the man a grateful nod and sent a patronus to the other teachers letting them know of this latest development.

A moment later though Don's calming magic had taken effect and all three of them were headed to the third floor to look for the missing children.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile under the third floor bathroom Harry was still wandering through passageways and being guided by that diary. That is until the last passageway he walked through entered into a large cave like room. There was Ginny sprawled out on the floor with what looked like blood around her head.<p>

Quickly he rushed through the room throwing the book as he kneeled down next to his best friends little sister.

"Ginny!"

The girl made no move to indicate that she had heard him so very gently he shook her shoulder, but still he received no response. Before he could make another move though, the book to his right opened and pages began to flip around as if a very fast breeze had come through the cavern.

Distracted by the books obvious display of magic Harry was surprised when he felt an intense pain come from his scar and felt blood start to soak the bandage that still rested there. Quickly his hand shot up to rest on the now throbbing scar on his forehead.

Through the pain and now the blood that was dripping down his face he saw that somehow with magic a figure of a boy was now coming out of the journal.

Brushing off his robes the boy who looked to be about sixteen stood up and gave Harry a smile that made the boy cringe. It was one of those smiles that a creep on a bus would give you, one that sent chills down your spine because you knew that they did not have good intentions.

"Harry Potter, what a pleasure to meet you."

Still kneeling next to Ginny Harry lowered his hand from his scar down to hover over his wand in case he needed to pull it out.

"W...who are you?"

That smirk that gave Harry chills stayed firmly planted on the boy's face as he spoke. "Why I am Tom Riddle. I am the one who led you here, and being the Gryffindor you are you blindly followed me."

Harry slowly got up off the ground with his wand now in hand. "What do you want with us?"

The boy let out a bark of laughter as he appraised the small boy in front of him.

"You really don't know who I am do you? The puzzle pieces just don't seem to fit for you do they? Then let me spell it out for you.

You see somehow my journal landed in this blood traders cauldron while they were out shopping for their books this summer. It was rather lucky for me, except that she kept droning on and on about how horrible it is being the youngest and only girl in the family. When she came here though it was easy to get her to do my bidding. Come down here, let out the Basilisk so that it could play in the castle.

I soon grew bored though, and knew I needed to be out into my rightful body again. So without further ado I entranced Ginny here to first drop me off into your book bag today when you came back to classes and then come down here where she would fall under the effects of a sleeping spell. A shame really that she hit her head. No matter though, her life force will soon become mine as you see I'm becoming more human by the moment."

Harry looked at the boy with his wand fully out now and pointing it at Tom. "What do you mean by her life force?"

"Oh Harry, Harry, Harry, you're quite dense aren't you?"

Tom held out his wand and in the air he wrote out his name, Tom Riddle.

"You see Harry while this may be my given name it is not a name I chose. I chose a different name and many people know me by that one, including you."

He then rearranged the letters so that they spelled out Voldemort.

"You are quite a naive little boy. So trusting to do what ever a book tells you to do. Guess I will have to teach you a sharp lesson."

Just then Harry heard something moving on the ground. It had to be something quite large, and it almost sounded as if it were slithering. As the noise stopped Harry saw the large scales of the beast as it came to rest behind Tom.

Harry might not know much about the magical world from his upbringing, but he had snuck off to read a mythology book in the library while he had been in primary school when he was trying to hide from Dudley. He knew exactly what this beast was, that picture in that book could almost have been a photograph. Carefully Harry looked up at Tom with the creature behind him; he knew not to look into that things eyes or else he could wind up dead.

"Care to fight my friend here? He is awfully hungry, I bet he could use a snack."

As Tom was talking he slowly turned around to stroke the giant snakes scales, but seemed disappointed when his hand just went through the thing.

Then in that strange language that still creeped Harry out Tom started to talk to the snake. "Don't worry my dear, soon I will be able to stroke your lovely scales. Why don't you have a little snack on this boy here. I'm sure he will taste wonderful. It's been a long time since you have tasted human flesh."

Even without looking at the Basilisk face Harry could just feel it perk up at the mention of having a snack. As he heard the thing get closer, Harry started to back up a little and talk in that strange language that Severus had told him was parseltongue. He tried with all his might to convince the snake that he was not good to eat, that he was not at all juicy and tender as it kept chanting.

Realizing that the snake was not going to listen to anything he tried to tell it Harry started to shoot off any spell he could think of. Quirrell hadn't taught much last year, but he had learned a stunner. Quirrell hadn't taught much last year, but he had learned a stunner. So he shot that at the Basilisk and was deeply troubled when it did not work. He shot off a few more spells that he thought could help his situation, but they all failed. Just when he had thought all hope was lost and that he and Ginny were going to die in this cave Fawkes, Dumbledore's Phoenix, flew in with the sorting hat in it's mouth.

As the glorious bird dropped the hat so that it would fall into Harry's hands it few over to the giant snake and with it's talons scratched the beasts eyes. While Fawkes was expertly blinding the creature Harry was pondering over why the bird had given him the sorting hat, but then he saw it. He saw the hilt of the Gryffindor sword sticking out. Quickly Harry grabbed the hilt and drew it out of the hat. Now what was he supposed to do?

Fawkes apparently satisfied with her job of blinding the Basilisk flew off to watch the rest of the event from a perch up high. Seeing the bird's departure Harry grabbed a better hold of the sword and pointed it towards the snake. All the while Harry could hear Tom jeering at him.

"Yes Potter you have a sword. Now, what are you going to do with it? Poke her?"

Harry just stood still until the snake came near though, and as soon as she moved in to strike Harry struck his sword into the beasts neck. Just as he did though one of the snake's fangs caught Harry in the arm and broke off there. As Harry stumbled back in pain, the Basilisk 's head fell to the ground with a mighty crash.

All the while Harry was only slightly aware of the figure who was cursing, ranting, and raving. He had only one thought in mind. It was the book that had caused all this trouble. The book had enchanted Ginny and had tricked him into coming down here. Everything tonight had happened because of that damn book.

So slowly Harry took the fang out of his arm and crawled over to were the book lay next to Ginny. Tom was still cursing Harry for defeating his beauty so he was unaware when a blinding pain hit his heart as Harry stabbed the fang deep within the pages.

The last thing Harry heard as he passed out was. "I will get you Harry Potter if it's the last thing I do!"

* * *

><p>Back in the hospital wing Severus was sitting vigil by Harry's bed waiting for the boy to wake. Just minutes after Harry had fallen to the ground and Fawkes had healed the cut on Harry's arm with his tears. Severus had ran over to the prone boy and had scooped him up into his arms and had run as fast as he could to the hospital wing not really caring what had happened, but rather that his boy was obviously hurt. Don had followed shortly after with Ginny in his arms, but Albus had stayed behind so that he could at least try to figure out what had taken place in just one short hour.<p>

When they had gotten to the hospital wing Poppy had quickly led the two over to two beds and both Healers had set to work healing the children. Ginny fortunately was not hurt that badly. On the scan Madam Pomfrey had found that Ginny's mind had been tampered with, and she had a concussion fro hitting her head, but other than that she just had a few scratched and bruises from where she had fallen. Harry on the other hand was a different story entirely.

He had the scratches and bruises from where he had fallen as well and is scar had burst open, but the most concerning injury was that cut from the fang on his arm. Fawlks had tried her best to rid the cut of the poison and heal it, but when they had done further scans it showed that the Phoenix had missed some of the deadly substance. The good news was that it was isolated in some fat tissue and had not hit the boy's veins or had gotten into his blood system. Even so they had to get the poison out of the boy's body entirely, if that stuff came anywhere near entering Harry's veins they were in deep trouble. Basilisk venom was one of the most poisonous in the wizarding world.

So they had come up with a plan, or rather Poppy and Don had come up with a plan while Severus just watched over his child. Don had cast a body bind on just the boy's arm so no harm would come to it, and they were going to wait for Harry to wake to transfer him to the clinic. They had to get the poison out, and it seemed that surgery was the best option.

To do that though they had to wait until Harry was awake and be told what was going on. They were going to have to give the child some strong sedation potions for the surgery, and they were too heavy to be magicked into the system, or to be swallowed unwillingly. Also, it was not a good idea to have Harry wake in an unfamiliar surrounding when his body had just gone through so much shock and was about to go though a bit more.

Gently Don had tried his best to unstick Severus from Harry's bedside, but he had failed every attempt he made. Severus was going to sit there weather anyone liked it or not. Finally giving up Don gave a worried look to Albus and then got up from the chair next to Severus.

Albus nodded in understanding and with a small sigh he went and sat down in the chair Don had just vacated. Gently Albus placed an arm around the man to try to give him all the comfort he could.

"How are you Severus? Can you talk to me?"

Severus just stared at the boy in front of him ignoring Albus completely. Sighing Albus gently began to rub soothing circles into the mans back.

"Come on Severus, now is not the time to close yourself off to the world. Harry is going to need a strong person to look up to, let us help you."

When no answer came, Albus sighed about ready to give up when a quiet whisper came from the body next to his.

"You are right Albus. I'm sorry for worrying you two."

Albus let a small smile grace his face as he continued to try to soothe the tension out of the man's shoulders. "That's my boy. Can you tell me what you're feeling?"

"Worried and scared, but at the same time I can't wait until he is well so that I can paddle his behind for scaring me so."

Letting the smile grow a little wider Albus chuckled and shook his head. "Now, you know the heartache you put me through all those years ago!"

Severus looked over at his mentor and squirmed a bit in his chair. "And I still remember all the sore behinds you gave me for doing so."

Albus nodded still smiling, but then he grew serious. "Remember to be gentle Severus and to get the whole story before you act. All we know is that somehow Harry snuck out of your rooms and ended up with Ginny Weasley under the third floor bathroom. When he got there Fawlks tells me he fought quite bravely and likely saved not only his own life, but Miss. Weasley's as well."

The man looked back down at the prone boy on the bed. "I heard you talking with Don. I just wish he didn't rush into danger head-on like a foolhardy Gryffindor. If he would have woken me up..."

Albus patted the man on the shoulder. "I know Severus. Much as you dislike it, you were and still are much the same. May I remind you of just last year when you jumped in front of a cauldron the was going to explode to save several students from some bad burns?"

Severus grimaced remembering that particular incident. The burns on his back had taken ages to fully heal. "I understand were you are going Albus."

"Then I need not go on?"

"No Albus, you made your point."

"Good. Will you get some rest now? Don over there will not get a moments peace watching you feating over Harry."

Severus closed his eyes for a moment and then leaned tiredly into Albus's side. "Do you promise to wake me when he does."

"Of course, my boy. You can sleep in the bed right next to him if you want."

Severus gave a tired nod and removed it from the older wizard.

"Come on then."

With that Albus helped the younger wizard up from his chair and over to the bed next to Harry's. As soon as Severus's head hit the pillow he was out like a light and all three still present in the hospital wing gave a sigh in relief. Now, they didn't have to worry about having Severus collapse out of pure exhaustion.

As soon as Severus was asleep Don set to work getting Harry set up to be transferred to the clinic as soon as he woke. While Don was busy talking to the clinic, Poppy had a brief conversation with Mrs. Weasley telling her of what they knew happened. As soon as the mother of seven heard that Ginny was in the hospital wing though she had ended the call and had stepped through immediately, not even stopping to inform her husband of where she was headed.

When the Weasley Monarch had come through the floo she had immediately rushed to where her daughter lay. After making sure her daughter would indeed be fine, she then looked up at the nurse and began to question her on what had happened. Before she could get out more than one question though, Poppy had put up a hand silencing her.

"Sit down Molly and I'll tell you everything we know."

So Molly reluctantly sat down in the chair by her daughter and vaguely noticed the two other occupants of the hospital wing. Poppy sat next to her and reached out to grab hold of the woman's hand. As gently as she could she told Molly what they knew had happened that night and that her daughter would need to see a Mind Healer to deal with the tampering.

"In time, she will be fine Molly."

"What about Harry and Professor Snape? Were they injured as well?"

Poppy sighed and gave a gentle squeeze to Molly's hand. "I cannot tell you exactly what has happened to them with my healer's oath, but I can tell you that Harry is to be transferred for surgery when he wakes up and Severus...will be ok."

Molly nodded in understanding. "Thank you for calling me Poppy. Can I do anything to help you? Remember, I have basic healers training."

The Healer gave the woman a small smile. "Just watch your daughter, she will be confused when she wakes up. Don is on his way back here so I have all the help I need. Do you want me to floo call Arthur to bring some clothes for you?"

Poppy gestured to the pajamas she still wore and gave a small smile. Molly blushed and gave a small nod.

"I'm sorry. I just never imagined my little girl ending up here. The twins, sure, they experiment too much, but my sweet Ginny..."

"I understand Molly. I'll be right back with Arthur. Ok?"

Molly nodded as Poppy gave her hand one final squeeze. The healer then got up from her chair and walked over to the floo calling Arthur to come and bring some clothing.

As Arthur came back through the floo with the clothing Poppy had asked for in his arms, he went straight over to his wife. When the man had entered the small space, Poppy closed the curtains around the family for some privacy.

While Poppy was off taking care of the youngest Weasley and Don was away arranging for Harry's transfer Albus had sat down next to Severus's bed and finally finished the needed paperwork for the child to become Severus's. He just needed to send it off to the ministry and wait for the final approval. As he finished he looked over at Severus and let a smile grace his face and the twinkle in his eyes grow. Severus truly was becoming a protective parent and a good one at that.

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><p>In the first light of the morning Severus was awake. Not really remembering what had happened to land him here in the hospital wing <em>again <em>he started to look around for clues. As he saw Albus sleeping in the chair next to his and Harry on the other side in the bed, it all came back to him in a rush. His boy had snuck out of his bed in the middle of the night and had traipsed into a dangerous situation.

Sighing Severus sat up in bed and looked over once more at Harry. The little imp looked so innocent in his sleep though. It was hard to stay mad at him when he looked so peaceful. Slowly Severus moved the covers away and got out of bed quite grateful that the Healers had not bothered to change him into pajamas. Then without another thought he moved over to sit next to Harry's bed. As he sat down he sighed slightly and brushed the bit of hair out of the child's face.

The man then sat back in his chair and waited for the child to wake. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted that the entire Weasley family had been moved down here last night. They were currently all crowded around the youngest's bed in cots that Poppy had likely conjured for them. What was curious to Severus though were the two cots he spotted on the other side of Harry's bed. There slept Rom Weasley, and Hermione Granger as close as they could get to Harry.

What was even curiouser though was the cot near Severus's bed, the one he had not noticed until now. It held a sleeping Minerva, the fierce woman who would never let a student catch her unprepared. Had they all come down from their soft beds to be with them of all people? He could understand the Weasleys coming down to see their sister and even the Granger girl and youngest Weasley boy seeing Harry, but Minerva coming to see him? Why had she left her bed for _him_?

As the potion master was musing over all the new people in the room, he was unaware of the two soft green eyes looking intently at him. Slowly though Severus felt the gaze of someone watching him and turned to look at the bed. Almost immediately he was on the side of the bed, and he was putting Harry's glasses on his face.

"Good morning Harry. You gave us all quite a scare last night."

Harry blushed and tried to roll over onto his side, but his arm prevented him from moving too much. Slightly alarmed Harry looked up at Severus.

"What happened? Why can't I feel me arm?"

Severus reached forward and started to softly card his fingers through his hair trying to calm Harry down.

"Shhh You're going to be ok Harry." Severus then gave the boy a slightly stern look. "We will have a long discussion about what happened last night, but for right now let's just focus on getting you well again. Alright?"

Harry gave a hesitant nod. What did his new daddy mean by long discussion? Aunt Petunia had only said that to Dudley when he was going to get a spanking. Did that mean... He really hoped not.

It seemed the Basilisk you fought last night bit you with it's fang. Fawlks tried to heal the wound, but missed some of the poison in some of your fat cells. In a few minutes here I'm going to go wake Don so that we can have you transferred back to the clinic. You are going to have to have surgery to get the poison out of you. It won't be long, and you will be able to come home afterword, but it's important that it happens right away."

"Th...their going to cut my arm open?"

"I will not lie to you Harry. They are, but you are going to be put in a magically indued sleep so you will not feel a thing."

Feeling a bit more confident Harry nodded again. "Will you be there?"

Severus gave a small nod. "I would never leave you Harry."

Tears started to prick at the back of Harry's eyes. "Ginny?"

"Ginny is fine Harry."

"I thought...I thought she..."

"Shhh None of that Harry. We can talk about that later. Right now let me go fetch Don so we can get you to the clinic."

Harry gave a small nod and tried to suppress the tears he could feel coming, but could not help the small traitorous one the escaped his eyes. Gently Severus reached down and wiped it away with his finger.

"Everything will be just fine Harry."

With that Severus got up from the bed and went to search for Don. He didn't have to look far though, for right between Albus in his chair and Minerva in her cot lay Don. Carefully he stepped over the sleeping woman and knelt down next to the Healer. Resting a gentle hand on Don's shoulder Severus whispered quietly to the man to wake him up.

"Wake up Don, Harry is awake."

Hearing that Don was awake in a moment. Giving Severus a nod Don sat up on his makeshift bed and quietly straightened out his clothes. Seeing that the Healer was awake and alert Severus went back over to Harry so that he could continue to calm him.

Gracefully Severus sat back down on the side of Harry's bed and gently pulled back the covers. He then with a few more reassuring words picked the boy up so that he could carry him to the clinic. Yes, they could have him walk, but it was best not to take a chance jostling that arm. For one wrong move could make the poison move and that would not be good.

The next moment Don had come over and gave Severus a small nod as he saw that he had his arms filled with the small boy. Quietly the three made their way to the floo not wanting to wake anyone this early in the morning, but before they flooed Severus fed a mild stomach soother to Harry in an effort to make the trip as pleasant as possible and Don left a small note telling them where they were so they would not worry.

When they reached the clinic Severus, Don and Harry were met with two Healers coming to collect their patent. As soon as Harry saw the new faces though he struggled a bit in Severus's grip and turned his head into Severus's neck. Despite everything that had happened he still did not particularly like strange Healers. Gently, with great care not to move Harry's arm at all Severus reached around and began to rub gentle circles into Harry's back.

As Severus continued to calm the child one of the Healers held out his arms as if he wanted to take Harry from Severus. The man quickly shook his head so the Healer turned to Don for some help, but it was useless for the Healer. There was no way Harry was going to be pried from Severus's grip to go into another's arms.

Sighing the new Healer nodded. "We have a bed ready for him, and we can begin immediately."

Both Don and Severus nodded and then followed the two Healers down the hall and into a small room. It was obviously designed to house a child for there were pictures of smiling animals on the walls, and the bed was closer to the ground than a normal one would be.

Gently Severus sat down on the bed and pulled Harry away from his chest a bit so that he could look the child in the eyes.

"I'm going to set you down on the bed now Harry. The Healer will then give you a potion that will make you very sleepy. I will be here the entire time Harry, and I promise you nothing bad will happen to you."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus sighed in relief. He hated telling that small white lie as the Healers would surely boot him out as they operated, but if it made Harry relax a little then it was worth it.

Severus then very slowly and gently transferred Harry to the bed and tucked him in leaving his arms out so the Healers would not have to maneuver him anymore. The next moment the Healer who had tried to take Harry from his arms came over and gave a kind smile to the boy.

"Hi there Harry. I'm Healer McMan and that is Healer Clark were going to get that icky stuff out of your arm, ok?

Harry gave a small nod so the Healer continued. "Can you take this potion for me? I promise it doesn't taste too bad, and you will be all better when you wake up."

Again, Harry nodded and Severus took the potion from the Healer so he could feed it to the boy. Vert gently Severus tipped it up to the boy's mouth and he drank the thick liquid down quickly. In just few moments, Harry was fast asleep and Severus let out a small sigh.

Quietly Don came over and rested a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Come on Severus, we'll go wait in the waiting room. Harry will be fine here."

Severus gave a nod and got off the bed. Before leaving the room though he looked at the Healer who had spoken with Harry.

"I don't want Harry waking up alone. Can you make sure to get us before he wakes?"

The Healer smiled and nodded. "Of course I can."

Reassured Severus no longer protested as Don led him from the room and into the waiting room.

The next hour passed with Severus tensely sitting in his chair and Don sitting next to him giving him as mush calming magic as he thought was safe. Waiting was not Severus's best skill, he had a tendency to think of every possible outcome while he sat there and most of them were not positive.

Just as the man thought, he could take no more of this one of the Healers who were seeing to Harry had stepped out of the double doors and started to walk over to the two. Great relief rushed over Severus as saw that he was smiling, and he let his shoulders slump forward.

"You can go see him now. He is resting comfortably, and you can take him home in a couple of hours. We want to watch him for a little while after he wakes."

Severus nodded and all but rushed to see his child. Don smiled as the man left him still standing in the waiting room with the Healer. After watching him leave, the Healer turned and smiled at Don.

"He's quite protective isn't he?"

Don let out a small laugh. "You don't know the half of it!" But then he grew serious. "Is there anything else I should know? Did everything go as planed or was their a hitch?"

"Everything went fine. I want him to wear a sling to keep the wound on his arm elevated for about a week, but he should feel no pain. If he does, a mild pain reliever should be fine."

Don sighed and nodded. "Thank you so much for all your help."

The Healer put an arm around Don's shoulder. "It's not a problem Don. By the way, Pam said that you missed your dinner plans last night with her. You might want to go apologize. Some flowers I think would work nicely."

Don blushed and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. "I totally forgot! Thank you for reminding me. I think I will go rectify that now."

"Good luck! You're going to need it she was ranting all over the staff room this morning. She looked as if she was going to rip someone's head off."

"It probably doesn't help that this is the third time I've done that to her does it?"

"I would say not! Now go and quit dawdling. Pam is scary when she's mad and I have to send my kid to her this afternoon."

Don rose an eyebrow, but made no comment as he left conjuring an orchid plant and a stuffed bear with a heart on it's chest. He knew Severus would be fine now that Harry was going to be ok and would actually rather be alone with his child. Harry had given Severus quite a scare there, and he didn't doubt that as soon as they got home Harry would not be sitting comfortably.

Back in Harry's room Don it seemed to have been correct. Severus was sitting in the chair next to Harry's bed and the edge was so close it was touching the side. Gently he was cradling his fingers through Harry's hair and was quietly scolding him for scaring him so. The whispers Severus knew could not be heard by the sleeping boy, but somehow it made him feel better.

"You were so reckless, child. Don't make me lose you when I just got you. You almost died there...if Fawlks had not healed you as fast as she had you would not be lying in this bed right now. Do you know how much I would miss you? You opened up my heart for the first time since...your mother, and you almost broke it as she did. Please don't ever do that to me again Harry. I don't want to lose you too."

Halfway during his scolding/speech Severus lowered his head to look into his lap. He had thought he was talking so softly that no one would hear him least of all Harry, but when he felt a small hand rest on his he knew Harry had heard him. Silently he look up at Harry who he noticed had tears in his eyes as well.

"I'm...I'm sorry!"

"I hope you are Harry. You scared me half to death."

Harry looked down at his arm in the sling. "Am I going to be ok?"

Severus gave a small nod. "Yes Harry, you are going to be fine. Now can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Harry looked down the bed as Severus gently put a pillow behind his back so that he could sit up more comfortably and then sat on the edge of his bed.

"Come on Harry. Please tell me your side of the story."

The boy looked up and nodded. He then preceded to tell Severus everything that had happened that night. After Harry was finished speaking there was a long silence while Severus made sure to keep his emotions in check.

"Harry, let me ask you this. Why did you think that you had to be the one to follow the books instructions? Why did you not seek anyone one out for help?

Harry blushed and looked down. "You were so tired...I know I have been keeping you up with my nightmares. I didn't want to bother you."

Severus heaved a small sigh. "Harry even if you didn't want to bother me there were other people you could have asked help from? I want you to think for a few minutes Harry and come up with at least one way you could have handled this differently. Can you do that for me?"

The child gave a small nod and Severus grabbed hold of the boy's hands in his. Gently he stroked the backs of those hands in a calming manner. Trying to relieve some of the tension he knew the boy was feeling.

After a few minutes, Harry looked up and shook his head. "I...I don't know sir..."

Severus gave a small sigh and released Harry's hands. He then got up and pulled down the covers a little shaking off his shoes as he did. Very carefully the man slipped into bed besides Harry while putting an arm around the boy's shoulders pulling him close to his side.

"Harry... Child, do you not see yourself worthy of our protection?"

Very gently Severus pulled the chain out from underneath the boy's shirt.

"You have this Harry. You could have called Don to come and help you. I hope you know that he will be there for you whenever you need him, day or night. The same with me Harry, I don't care if I'm exhausted or sick, I will be there to help you no matter what. I need you to understand that Harry."

Severus then reached down and gently took hold of the boy's chin and made it so that Harry had no choice, but to meet his eyes.

"Do you understand that Harry?

Harry nodded tears welling up in his eyes. For the first time in a long time, he was starting to believe that what Severus was saying was true. He had people he could go to if he needed for the first time in his short life.

Seeing the tears Severus released the boy's chin and let him rest his head on his shoulder. Gently he wrapped both arms around Harry and held him.

"Can you tell me why you thought you had to do everything by yourself? I mean the real reason Harry."

"I...I...I didn't think you would care...and you would be mad at me for waking you up."

Severus sighed. "I would never be mad at you for waking me up Harry. In fact, if you needed me I would prefer it if you did wake me up. That way I could help you."

Against his shoulder Severus felt a small, hesitant nod.

"We still need to talk about the consequences for your actions young man. While, I am sure you did believe that I would be mad if you woke me you still snuck out after curfew and put yourself in danger. Remember the rules I told you a few days ago?"

Harry again nodded against Severus's shoulder so Severus continued even more gently then before.

"You broke my major rule Harry and I told you what the would happen if you did that did I not?"

"R..Ron said that it wouldn't feel good sitting down for a little while."

With his arms, still around Harry Severus gave the boy a small squeeze in comfort. "He's right Harry. You will not want to sit down for a little while. That's all though, It will sting a bit, but I will not hurt you."

"Wh..when?"

"Do you mean when will I spank you?"

Again, Harry nodded.

"When we get back to our rooms. We also have to talk about you sneaking out when you were supposed to be in bed. I think a full ten minutes in the corner will do. What do you think?"

Harry was not about to argue so again he nodded, but he opened his mouth to ask something else.

"C..can we get it over with?"

Severus sighed. "I would normally say that would be fine Harry, but you are going to be in this bed for a few more hours. I don't want to be cruel and make you sit on a sore bottom."

"I...I wouldn't mind...I just don't want it hanging over my head."

"If you're sure Harry and only then."

"Please."

"Ok Harry, let me go close the door and I will cast a silencing spell so no one can hear."

Harry nodded and let the man out of his bed. Unconsciously he had been hanging on to his daddy as he hugged him and deep down he really didn't want to let go.

He also didn't really want this spanking to happen at all, but the talk he had with Ron during lunch yesterday had made him feel a bit better about this whole ordeal. He had admitted to Ron about the punishments that were laid out to him if he broke the rules and with a blush Ron had admitted to him that he was still spanked by his mother as well. He said that while it did hurt for a little while, the sting quickly faded and he much preferred it to a grounding. There was nothing hanging over his head, and he knew that as soon as the spanking was over he was forgiven.

Hermione had overheard the conversation and had thoughtfully nodded her head at what Ron was saying. She even told Harry that now and again her parents spanked her as well and agreed with everything his best friend was telling and even said that it was loads better than not being able to see your friends.

While Harry was trapped in his musing Severus had gotten off the bed and had moved to shut the door. He cast a spell that would allow him to hear someone knocking, but it would not open until he said it could. Along with that spell, he also cast a silencing spell so that no one would be able to hear anything that went on in the room for a little while. He didn't want anyone to overhear and embarrass Harry later on.

When he was finished, he came and sat on the edge of the bed somewhat in the middle. Harry kind of knowing the drill from watching Dudley once got out of bed and stood before Severus. Gently the man reached forward and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I want you to tell me why you are getting this spanking Harry."

Harry blushed and looked down. "I...I put myself in danger.

"That's right Harry. You put yourself in danger when you could have come for help from an adult."

Severus reached forward and placed a hand under Harry's chin forcing him to meet his eyes.

"I don't enjoy doing this Harry, but I think I need to impress just how serious your actions were. I don't want to lose you son; I don't think I could ever bare losing you."

Tears were already behind Harry's eyes as he looked at Severus so it was no surprise that the man pulled the boy in for a hug, warmly warping his arms around him.

"It's going to be ok Harry."

Suddenly, Harry pulled back from the embrace and wiped a tear off his face. He felt that he had to get this over with, or he would lose his nerve.

"Can...can we get this over with please?"

Severus nodded and led Harry over to his right side. He gently tipped the boy over his knee and made sure that Harry's upper body arm was resting comfortably on the bed. There was no need for Harry to be uncomfortable.

"Are you comfortable Harry? How is your arm?"

Harry nodded from where his head was resting on the bed. "I'm ok..."

Gently Severus placed his left hand on the small of Harry's back and rested his other in Harry's bottom.

"Are you ready Harry?"

When Severus saw the small nod he sighed and lifted his hand. Not hard, but strong enough to smart Severus brought his hand down on the waiting bottom. Harry jumped a little and let out a small gasp. The second and third smack landed much the same way, but on the forth Severus heard Harry begin to silently sob.

Steeling himself Severus finished the rest of the punishment. Ten whole swats landed on Harry's bottom, and the entire time Severus was very careful to gage Harry's reactions to make sure he was in no real distress. As soon as it was over he let Harry lie over his lap for a few minutes while he rubbed his back to help him calm down. When the man thought that Harry was calm enough he gently scooped Harry up into his arms and hugged him tightly to his chest.

"There, there Harry, it's all over. It's all forgiven and forgotten."

Harry rested his head on Severus's shoulder and nodded slightly. Quietly Severus conjured up a warm, wet washcloth and began to wipe away all the tears that had fallen.

"All better now?"

Harry again nodded.

"Why don't you take a little nap now and when you wake we'll go back to Hogwarts, ok?"

Harry just closed his eyes causing Severus to let out a small chuckle. "Not on me you little brat! I meant the bed!"

As Harry kept his eyes closed a small smile graced his face. He was clearly amused. "But you're so comfy."

"I'm sure. The dungeon bat is now a giant teddy bear for the boy who lived."

Harry's eyes popped open. "Please don't call me that."

Severus looked down curiously. "Why not Harry?"

"It...it reminds me of when you hated me."

Severus sighed a little. "As I said before Harry. I never hated you. I was just...misguided."

Harry nodded, but grew serious. "Thank you daddy for not yelling at me."

Severus looked down at the bundle in his arms a little confused. "Why are you thanking me Harry?"

"I...I don't like it when people yell. It reminds me of Uncle Vernon."

Severus nodded his head and made a metal note to never yell at Harry. Unfortunately that explained a lot. Last year when he had become angry he wold yell at the boy. He had thought it was blatant defiance, but now he saw it for what it was Harry had been breaking down before his eyes. Suppressing a sigh Severus stroked back the hair from Harry's face.

"In that case Harry I will never yell at you. Now come on, you need a bit of rest."

Harry nodded and let Severus maneuver him so that he was now beneath the covers again and tucked in. Although Harry was now lying on his stomach instead of his back. Gently the man sat back down on the bed and rubbed the boy's back until he fell asleep.


	17. The Hospital Wing

Hello all! Thank you for all the reviews! Just a heads up the next chapter might not come as soon as I want it to. I have two new classes, PHP and databases, and I expect most of my time this month will be spent banging my head against the wall.

damonreader05 - Here is Draco for you! I finally found a way to include him into this story! :)

SlytherinPrincess1224 - You just have to keep in mind that everyone reacts to traumatic experiences differently and you never know how someone is going to react until they are in that situation. There is no specific mold everyone has to fit in.

LunaBeth203 - Sorry if I scared you! :)

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I don't know whether a certain someone has disappeared yet or not. Maybe when Albus takes a closer look at that diary later on we will find out. ;)

GinaStar - I totally agree with you. My mom is a teacher and I have taught some myself so I have been around a lot of kids. It's kind of scary sometimes when you see these kids who don't know right from wrong because their parents have not enforced any kind of discipline.

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><p>For the first time in several days, Severus was sitting behind his desk. Not for the same reason, this time instead of grading or doing some other school related work he was watching a small twelve-year old standing in the corner sniffling. If anything, this was worse than the spanking had been. All he wanted to do was rush over there, embrace his child, and tell him everything was alright. He had to steel himself though, and make sure the full ten-minute punishment was fulfilled. He couldn't back out now; it would send the wrong message and confuse Harry.<p>

So he waited, and as soon as the ten-minutes was over he got up and walked over to the corner as calmly as he could. Although, he would never admit it to anyone, or Merlin forbid Albus, the old saying this hurts me more than it does you was indeed true.

Slowly the man crouched down behind the boy and gently placed a hand on his shoulder so he would turn around. As soon as the child did Severus found himself with his arms full of a small boy and his hands slowly caressing the boy's back.

"It's ok Harry. All is forgiven. Just promise me you will never do anything like that again. When you wake up with a problem, come to me, don't sneak out into the night."

Through small sobs, Severus heard many such promises to be good and to never be bad again. The man smiled and remembered his many promises to Albus after a punishment and how long they lasted; not long at all.

"Shhh, calm down now Harry. Don't you want to go see how Ginny is doing? Don told me she was asking about you. I think she might have a small crush on you."

Severus saw the small bush as Harry buried his head into his soft robes while nodding. Again Severus smiled, Harry was so much like Lilly in so many ways; it was kind of scary sometimes. Shaking that thought out of his head Severus pulled Harry back from him a little and wiped away the small tears that he found. He then rested his hand gently on the boy's cheek.

"Promise me Harry, no more sneaking off into dangerous situations, ok?"

Harry started to nod, but Severus stopped him.

"With words Harry. I understand why you nod, but I want you to use your words more."

"Ok daddy. I promise I will never do anything like that again. My bottom's still sore and I don't like standing in the corner."

Agin Severus smiled. "Does it now? Well, if it is still sore at bedtime I have some cream we can rub into it to make it feel better. How does that sound?"

Harry started to nod, but stopped himself. "Ok daddy."

"Come on now, I think your friends are waiting for you in the hospital wing as well for you."

Before Severus could get up though, Harry stopped him with a small hand on his arm.

"Daddy?"

"Yes child."

"Do...do you have to tell them that you spanked me?"

By now Harry's face was red as a tomato and he was shuffling from foot to foot.

"No Harry, it will be up to you what you tell your friends, but Don, Albus, and Minerva already know. It was hard hiding it from them when they came and saw you sleeping on your stomach."

If possible Harry's face became even redder than the Weasley's hair making the man before him smile a little more.

"Don't worry Harry. They won't say anything to anyone. They certainly never told anyone when I was spanked."

Harry's eyes widened as he looked up at Severus. "You...you were! Who?"

"Who do you think Harry? Albus did a number of occasions, and I think even Minerva did once."

"You? Why?"

Severus smiled and shifted just a tad bit uncomfortable the way this conversation was going.

"Let's just say that I had a bit of a dangerous streak as you do. You will have to ask Albus more about this if you want to know more though. Those are some memories I rather not remember if you know what I mean."

Harry nodded. "Ok daddy."

Severus finally got up off the floor glad that the conversation had ended for now. Even though, it had been a long time ago it still made Severus feel all squirmy inside when he thought of how Albus had taken him in hand.

Severus held out his hand and Harry took it softly. Then walking over to the floo Severus threw in the floo powder and called to the hospital wing. Very gently Severus tightened his hold on Harry's hand and they both stepped through the floo.

Up until now Severus had given Harry a stomach soother to help make the journey easier for him. While that was a good temporary solution, it would never help long term of getting Harry use to travail sensation. So, this morning he had asked Don what the best way to wean Harry off the potion. The Healer had told him though that it would be better to just stop giving it to him altogether and let his body adjust naturally.

Reluctantly, Severus had agreed. Well that is after much convincing.

So, now Severus and Harry were in the hospital wing and Severus was bent over a dry heaving Harry trying to calm him down so a panic attack would not follow. Gently the man rubbed the boy's back and whispered soft words in his ear much to the shock and amusement to the other people present in the wing. As soon as Severus noticed he had an audience he glanced up at the faces and let a scowl grace his face. Quickly the nosey patients and family members looked away except for two who were just too gob smacked to take the warning.

Unfortunately, one of the two had been Draco his godson. The other the youngest Weasley would have found out soon anyway, but Draco...he had not really wanted to deal with explaining himself to the boy just yet...or well ever. Plus there was the danger of if he said anything to his father.

Sighing Severus got up from his kneeling position and led Harry over to the bed where his friends had gathered. Patting Harry on the shoulder he gave a quick glace at the twins and then set off to see what the hell his godson had been doing in here in the first place.

Quickly he strode over to the boy and took hold of his arm, not harshly, but none to gently ether. He then led the boy into Poppy's office which she gladly gave up for him. She knew that look on his face and to be quite honest she would rather not cross him when he was like this.

As soon as the two were in the office Severus closed the door and placed a silencing spell around them so no one outside could hear them.

"You are not to tell your father what you just saw or anyone else."

It took a few moments, but finally Draco recovered enough to nod his head.

"Yes, Uncle Sev."

Severus nodded his head and knelt down before the boy. "Now tell me Draco, why are you here? Are you injured?"

Draco blushed and looked down at his feet while he shook his head. "No, I just keep having nightmares and I thought Madam Pomfrey could give me a dreamless sleep so I could have at least one good nights rest."

Severus sighed. "I'm your Head of House Draco why did you not come to me?"

"Father says nightmares are for babies and I should suck it up. I didn't want you to tell him that I was still having them."

Gently this time Severus led the boy over to the couch near the door and sat him down. He then pulled up a chair of his own so he could sit across from Draco. As he sat down he studied the boy in front of him. For a while now he had suspected that Lucius was not the kind parent he showed to others. No, scratch that, he had known that Lucius was not a kind parent he just didn't have enough evidence to really do anything. If Draco had any injuries or told him anything then it would be a different story.

It had not worked last year, but maybe now with a few gentle prods he could get some information out of Draco. Last year, he had been all ready to take Draco in, but now he had Harry. He could still find Draco a safe home to go to though. Anything was better than the current situation the boy was in.

Gently Severus reached forward and placed a hand on the boy's knee.

"Draco, I promise you I won't tell your father anything about your nightmares. Ok?"

The boy nodded and put his head down so he was looking down into his lap as if he knew where the conversation was going to turn. Sighing Severus removed his hand from the boy's knee and placed it on Draco's chin lifting it so that he could look nowhere else.

"Are you ready to answer those questions I asked you last year?"

Roughly Draco puled his chin away from Severus's grasp and looked over towards the door.

With another sigh Severus got up from his chair and moved to sit next to Draco. Very gently Severus placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, but pulled back slightly when Draco flinched at the sudden touch.

"It was bad this summer, wasn't it?"

Slowly Draco nodded. "He called a Healer to the house so that when you made all of us have our yearly physical nothing would come up."

"I see. You know Draco, if you tell me what happened I can have you removed from your father. I can make it so that he will never touch you again."

Draco's eyes flicked up to meet Severus. "You...you mean I wouldn't have to become a Death Eater when I turn sixteen?"

"No Draco."

"What about Mother? Would she leave too?"

Severus sighed yet again. This was the part he dreaded. He knew that Narcissia loved her son very much and Draco loved her as well, but he had tried to get her to leave so many times it was hard to count them all. She was just too afraid to leave though, and had opted to stay leaving her son at the hands of his Father.

Slowly the man shook his head. "No Draco, your mother is very set in her ways. She wants to stay with your father, but you have a choice. Don't base yours from hers. She will always love you and will understand if you decide that you wish not to go back home."

Draco sat there for more than a few minutes just staring at the door thinking. Severus knew what a hard decision this was so he let the boy just sit there. He knew that he would snap out of his trance; eventually.

Finally, Draco turned to look at Severus again. "Can I talk to her before I decide anything?"

Slowly Severus nodded his head. "Yes Draco, I can go floo her right now. Your Father is in a meeting with the board of governors so he won't be around to answer."

"Ok."

Before getting off the couch, Severus placed a gentle hand back on the boy's shoulder and did not remove it this time when Draco flinched. He then walked over to the fireplace and called Draco's mother to come through. Before letting her step through though, he explained what was going on and basically guilted her so that she would agree to let him to take Draco from their home.

When the stern woman came through the floo Severus walked back over to Draco and gave the boy a small nod. "I will be outside, if you need anything let me know."

He then turned back to Narcissia. "I need you to promise me Narcissia that whatever you see or hear here is completely confidential. You must not tell Lucius anything, if you do you not only put my life in danger, but also Draco's."

The woman gave a tight nod before sitting down next to her son.

"I need you to swear on your magic, Narcissia."

That caught the woman's attention as her head swooped back up to look at the man and narrow her eyes. She was more offended than anything that Severus did not trust her to keep a secret.

"I swear on my magic that I will not reveal anything I learn today to anyone."

Severus nodded and left the room. He didn't want to take a chance that Draco would blab to his Mother about Harry, and it was also for Draco's safety. If Lucius found out that Draco was planning on leaving Draco's life would be in danger more than it already was. Lucius could be vindictive when he wanted to be.

After firmly shutting the door behind him, he quickly sent a patronus to Albus just to let him know what was going on. He would have surely felt Narcissia's presence, and he didn't want him to worry that it was a Death Eater invading the school. With that done he looked over to the bed he had dropped Harry off on and was glad to see not only all the kids talking and having fun, but the parents were also keeping a close watch over what was happening.

Quickly he spotted Harry between his two best friends across from the twins playing Exploding Snap and was proud to see that Harry was wining. Not wanting to spoil the interaction by interrupting them Severus stayed where he was near Poppy's office and waited to hear the silent knock that would inform him to come back in.

Soon enough, the knock came braking Severus from his musing and watching his child. Reluctantly, he turned and entered the small office. When he entered, he saw Draco was sitting on the couch with some tears in his eyes and Narcissia standing near the floo.

"I have to go now Severus, please take care of my son for me and find him a good home. I should have done this sooner, but I couldn't bare to lose him. Thank you for everything."

With that, the woman disappeared into the floo while Draco jumped off the couch and ran towards the floo begging his "mummy" not to leave him. Severus caught Draco though before he reached the fireplace and held the boy close to his chest. It seemed the sense of abandonment was too much for the boy.

"It will be ok Draco. Try to calm down, you're going to be fine."

Draco's sobs only increased as did his yelling for his mummy. Being prepared as always Severus reached into his robes and pulled out the extra strength calming potion that was meant for Harry. Draco was more in need of this potion now. Quickly he uncapped the top, and gently he forced it down the boy's throat. Not used to the effects of the potion and being exhausted cause Draco the fall right asleep. It was really for the best though, he would be able to carry him better and it would allow Don to do a quick physical scan.

Carefully he lifted Draco into his arms and groaned when he realized that Draco was at least two stones heavier than Harry. At least his parents, never starved him. Hoisting the boy up a bit higher and casting a weight altering spell Severus moved out of Poppy's office and started to move Draco next door into the private room where Draco would now be staying. For the boy could no longer stay in the Slytheran dorms, when Lucius found out everyone would be hexing the poor boy right and , when they found someone to take him in they would have Draco come to their home for a few days to let the worst of it pass.

Ignoring the stares he received from the children still out on the bed Severus carried Draco into the new room and gently set him down on the bed not bothering to cover him with a blanket knowing that Don would be redressing him in a moment anyway. As soon as Severus set the boy on the bed, he reached down and pulled the pendent from his clothing so that he could call Don. He then sent a Patronous to Albus asking him to contact a trustworthy social worker and start the proceedings.

With all that done Severus sighed and sat down in the chair next to the bed. The next moment Don came bustling in closing the door behind him.

"You were finally able to get him to talk?"

Severus shook his head. "No, but his mother asked me to find him a new family and that was all I needed to hear to evoke my Head of House and godfather responsibilities."

Understanding Don nodded and picked up the hospital pajamas on the dressers. "Would you like to assist me or would you rather I fetched Poppy?"

Severus stood and took the pajamas from Don setting them on the bedside table. "I would like to help."

"Ok then Severus. Can you start undressing him? Everything but his shorts, I want to grab some things I think we might need."

Severus nodded and set to work taking off the boy's robes and uniform. After getting the boy down to his shorts, Don came in with a few potions and creams in his hands. Severus turned to look at the Healer with raised eyebrows.

"Do you think all of that is necessary?"

Don shook his head. "I don't know, but I would like to be prepared instead of not having something I need right away."

Severus nodded and sat back down in the chair next to the boy's bed. He might have never been that close to the child, but no one deserved to be alone while they went through anything like this.

Absently Severus noticed Don move and start to scan the boy with his hands. Looking up at the Healer Severus then noticed the small frown that was planted on his face. Sighing just a little Severus looked back down at the boy and to where Don was continuing to scan. Just a few minutes later Don reached for some of the potions and a few creams.

"It seems the Healer his father called to heal him was not the best in his field. He did heal him, but just enough so that nothing would be noticed on a light start of term scan. He has some internal damage that needs to fixed immediately."

Don looked down at Severus. "I'm going to need you to leave for this. You brought Draco to me last year and I know he would not like you seeing him without his shorts."

Severus gave a small nod and gave one last glance at the sleeping boy on the bed before he got out of his chair. He then turned to Don who was now busily readying the boy to heal him.

"Can you tell me when he is awake? I would like to speak with him some more and I know Albus would like to talk with him about his new home situation."

Don gave a small nod as gave the man a pointed look. "Go on now and see how Harry is doing. I will keep you up-to-date with Draco's progress."

With that Severus left the room quietly closing the door behind him. When he entered the outer room, he saw Harry looking at him with a hint of confusion from the bed they were all resting on. Sighing slightly Severus walked over to the boy, his friends and the parents of his friends. All of them were looking at him with interest and Severus could not help but sigh again. He was going to hate this conversation. If it were just Harry he would be fine, but it was not.

To avoid some awkwardness he pulled up a chair and sat just far enough from the bed so that he could not be touched by anyone sitting on it.

"Daddy?"

Severus looked up and cringed a little as he saw the Weasley parents give each other a smile and a knowing look, but then he looked over to his child and again saw the concern in his eyes.

"Yes child?"

"What happened to Draco? Why were you caring him?"

Severus sighed, let Harry ask him the questions he rather not answer in front of others.

"Well Harry, I can't tell you everything as that is information only Draco can devalue, but I can tell you he will be fine."

Harry nodded while the other children except for the twins, and the older two were looking on in wonder at Snape being nice to Harry. Yes, they had heard that Snape had this side to him and some had even seen him caring for Harry before, but it was still new and amazing to them.

Breaking the tense silence Arthur cleared his throat pointedly to gain the Professor's attention.

"Professor Snape, may I have a word with you...in private?"

"Of course." Severus then got up from where he was sitting and followed the man over to an unoccupied spot in the hospital wing where they could talk.

Not wanting to waste time Arthur jumped to what he wanted to speak with Severus about. "Thank you for saving my daughter last night."

Severus held up a hand to stop the man. "I didn't do anything, but find them. The real person who saved your daughter is Harry there. All thanks should be directed towards him."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully. "And how really is Harry? I mean he is in a sling, and it seems that he can't sit comfortably."

Severus hid a small smile behind his hand as he pretended to cough at Arthur last statement. Then, composing himself once more Severus cleared his throat.

"He is fine, they were able to get all the poison out of his arm and I fear it is my fault he cannot sit very well."

Arthur raised his eyebrows at Severus's statement. "You spanked him for saving Ginny?"

Severus shook his head. "No, I disciplined him for both sneaking out of his bed after curfew and then putting himself in danger when he should have gone for help."

The man nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry it seems I still do not know the full story, and it is probably a good thing I don't."

The Professor nodded his head exception his apology. "Is there anything you _would_ like to know about what happened last night? Harry told me everything this morning."

"Not about last night, but I do have one more question."

Severus nodded. "Go ahead."

"That was Malfoy's child I saw you carrying, was it not? Is he ok?"

Sadly Severus shook his head and then looked seriously Arthur. "That unfortunately is not a simple question. I told the children that he will be ok, but it will take time...like Harry."

Severus watched the man as the last part of his statement sunk in. First, the slight glimmer of shock and then the sudden realization sank in as he thought about all the times he had seen the child with his Father.

"Is he being removed?"

Severus nodded his head. "We have to be careful though, as you know his Father has high connections. Albus is looking for someone to take him in as we speak, but it has to be a family that will be able to protect Draco and themselves."

Arthur nodded and gave a quick glance over at his wife. "We'll take Draco in if he wants us. Bill is an expert dullest is and curse breaker, Charlie handles dragons so nothing is a challenge to him, Percy, I hear, can defend anyone when he wants to and as you know the twins can fend for themselves. We would need to strengthen our wards a bit, but we have been meaning to do that anyway. I know we are not the richest family, but we can provide him with a loving, supportive family, and that's what matter isn't it?"

To be quite honest Severus was a tad bit shocked the man in front of him was offering to take in the child of someone who had made his life misery for the last ten years. The offer was genuine though, he could see it in the man's eyes. Even though Albus was looking for a home for Draco to stay in since Severus was his godfather, the final word decision rested in his hands and Arthur's proposal sounded like the perfect solution. He knew that there would be a little animosity between the youngest Weasley boy and Draco at first, but he also knew that once they all saw everything Draco had projected last year had been a mask they would be fine.

"Let me talk to Albus and let him share what he thinks and then when Draco wakes I will let you know what his decision is. You should also talk to your children and wife about what they think. Though you and Molly might be welcoming, some of your younger children might not like the idea."

Arthur nodded. "All right then. How much should I tell them and should Harry be there as well?"

"Harry can hear whatever you tell your children. You should not tell them much though, just the basics. That Draco has been hurt badly and cannot go back home. Also, tell them that sometimes people say and do things out of character just so that they can stay safe."

"I will go speak with them then. Are you going to Albus now?"

"Yes, Don is going to contact me as soon as Draco wakes so if you see me rush in do not worry."

With another nod from Arthur, the two started to walk their separate ways. Slowly Severus started to walk to Albus's office while Arthur when to speak with his children about adding another member to their family. They both hoped with all their hearts that this would work out.

* * *

><p>An hour later Severus was back in the hospital wing followed by Albus. The man wanted to speak with the Weasley's about going by tonight and setting up stronger wards and see how Draco was doing.<p>

Coincidentally Don was just emerging from the room where they had placed Draco and had motioned for Severus to come see Draco. Walking over to the now ajar door Severus stopped to speak with Don.

"How is he doing?"

Don sighed. "He is healing, but it will take some time. The deeper I scanned the more I found. It seems that the Healer who tended to him didn't actually heal anything, but suppressed it. Magic can do weird things, and this is one of them. I've never seen this happen before. It seems that he has a deep infection in his lungs, but symptoms that should have shown would not have for at least a few months and by that time he would be really sick. The same with his other injuries. Instead of lash marks on his back, there are cuts in the muscles inside his back. It is very strange, but I have healed all the injuries I feel comfortable to now. Tomorrow, I can heal the rest. Has Albus been looking for a place for him to stay? I don't really feel comfortable leaving him here in the busy Hospital wing."

Nodding Severus pointed with his head to the people over his shoulder. "The Weasley's offered to take him in and I think they would be good for him. They would provide him with everything he has not had in his short life. I want to ask Draco what he wants first though, I don't want to force anything on him."

The Healer reached out and patted Severus on the shoulder. "Then, you should ask him now, he just woke up. He is still pretty upset about his mother."

"Thank you." With that Severus followed Don back into the small room. It would have been nice for this to be a more private conversation, but he understood Don felt that some calming magic might be in order to calm Draco down.

Coming over Severus carefully sat on the edge of Draco's bed near the top as Draco looking at him wearily.

"Hi Draco."

"Hi Professor."

"Draco, you know better than that. You have been calling me Uncle Sev for years."

Draco blushed and look down to his lap fiddling with the quilt a little.

"Mother left me."

Severus reached out a placed a gentle hand on the boy's knee. "She was doing what she thought was best for you. She knew that if she would have run too it would have put you in more danger. This way we can hide you with a family and keep you as safe as we possibly can."

Draco nodded, but still looked troubled about the whole affaire. "Who would want me?"

Giving the boy's knee a small squeeze Severus continued as gently as possible. " The Weasley's have asked whether you could live with them."

That caught the boy's attention and his head whipped up so fast Severus could have sworn the boy would get whiplash. "Even after everything I said last year?"

"Yes, it was them who brought up the idea and before you ask I have already set up an account with the Headmaster to set up a monthly fond for them so that the extra cost will not be a burden."

Even though Draco did not openly show it, he was quite frugal with his money and was very concerned on how much the family spent on him. Severus supposed it had to do something with how his father spent money right and left with no concern. Draco really was opposite from his father in every way possible.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Draco, the money will be coming out of my account and you know that I have the means for it."

"Your taking care of Potter now though? What about him?"

Severus gave the boy a small smile. "Yes Draco I am, but I don't want you to concern yourself with that. I have plenty to spend on both you, Harry and myself."

Draco nodded. "I guess I'm ok with that if they are."

"They are Draco. Would you like to speak with them yourself?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm really sleepy can I talk with them later?"

"Yes you can. Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep or would you wish I left?"

The boy blushed as Severus stood to lower the top half of the bed so Draco could lie down.

"Could you stay?"

"Of course, I can Draco. Now, lie back, and close your eyes. I'm right here."

Slowly Draco obeyed his godfather's words and closed his eyes. After just a few minutes, Severus let out a small breath in relief as he finally saw the boy's chest rise evenly in sleep. The man then turned to Don who gave him a small nod.

"I think that is as close to a yes as you're going to get. Let's go warn the Weasleys just what they have gotten themselves into."

Severus got up as he nodded. With one last glance at the boy on the bed, Severus sighed and followed Don out of the room to speak with the Weasley's and their children.

As they both reached the family Severus noticed that the Granger girl was still in the group of children. He supposed it was ok for her to be here he knew how close she was to the family and would likely be spending more time with them as her parents were muggles.

With a nod to Arthur Severus sat down in the chair he had occupied earlier and prepared himself for the conversation ahead. He was going to have to prepare this family to welcome the real Draco, but without revealing anything too personal about the boy. He then felt the hand rest on his shoulder and the calming magic that came with it. With a glance over his shoulder, he gave a grateful look to the Healer who just smiled in response.

After taking a deep breath, the Professor gave a look to the two adults and saw them sending each other small glances of worry or pity; he couldn't tell.

"Are you two sure you want to do this?"

Both shared another glance and nodded. Molly was the one to speak though. "Then, Draco accepted to come live with us?"

Severus was about to answer, but a shout from the bed interrupted him.

"What do you mean a dirty, filthy Slytherin is coming to live with us?"

Looking over Severus saw the youngest Weasley boy's face all red with fury as he shot angry glances at both his parents. The children around him seemed to be trying to calm him down, even Harry was patting his shoulder trying to get him out of his stupor. Severus opened his mouth to scold the boy, but again he was cut of by an angry voice; this time it was Molly who was doing the shouting.

"Ronald Weasley! What did we just finish telling you?"

Ron crossed his arms and looked away ignoring his mother. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately for the boy he was sitting rather close to his mother, so she stood up and garbed her sons chin none to gently so that he had no choice but to look at her.

"Do not ignore me young man! Answer me or else you will find yourself with a sore bottom."

Severus saw the young boy blush as he started to open his mouth to answer his mother. No doubt, he was embarrassed that she had implied the type of punishment he would receive if he did not comply.

"You just told us that it doesn't matter what house anyone is in and that we should treat everyone equally, but Muuuuum it's Malfoy!"

"No buts young man. He is a human being and deserves to have a loving family. I want you to be at least civil to him when he comes to live with us or else I will not hesitate to take you over my knee. Is that understood?"

Ron looked down at his lap as his mother let go of his chin. "Yes ma'am."

"That goes for the rest of you too. No pranks, no teasing and teat him as you would family. I want you to welcome him, he has been hurt and needs all the support we can give him."

Molly was met with chorus of nods and a few yes ma'am. Satisfied she nodded and looked back over to Severus.

"I believe you might have wanted to tell us something more?"

Severus nodded. "Yes, I wanted to tell you a little about Draco; I mean the real Draco. You see the Draco you all saw last year is merely a mask. He is not that snobby rich kid you all became to know him as."

The man took a small breath and looked almost pointedly at Harry. "When we fear something or someone we have a tendency to adapt to how we think they want us to act. We play the role we assume has been laid out for us and hide who we really are. I hope that you all get to know the real Draco. If at first he does act the part he played all last year, know that he is only doing so because he is afraid or uncertain. Treat him kindly and he will eventually let his guard down."

All the children in front of him nodded again except for Harry who was looking at him thoughtfully. He would have to talk with him later in private.

Just as Severus thought the conversation was over one of the twins spoke, maybe Fred?"

"Can he brew with us tomorrow?"

Ginny gave her brother a blank stare, but the rest seemed to know what he was talking about, and the older children along with his parents gave him looks of approval.

"That would be a great idea, but I think he will still be in bed. Maybe next week if he agrees."

Severus then looked over at the two elder Weasley's. "I was hoping that Draco might be able to go to your home and rest for a few days if that is ok with you?"

"That would be fine Severus. I actually think that would be a good idea, it would give us a chance to get to know one another better."

The Professor nodded. "I was thinking that as well. I have to warn you though Draco is not the most touchy feeling child. Don't hug him unless he invites it."

Severus could just imagine the woman giving the boy a bear hug the moment she saw him just as she used to do to him. Luckily after a year or so she had taken the hint, and she doesn't run up to hug him anymore.

It was unfortunate, but true that Draco just was not use to physical contact. Both his parents had not shown him much affection. Yes, his mother loved him, but not experiencing the small touches or hugs herself she just didn't know how to give them to Draco.

Molly gave a small nod. While she hated Severus telling her how to handle a child when she had so much experience he was obviously just trying to help.

"Is there anything else we need to do paperwork wise?"

Albus had been sitting in the background letting the adults and children work things out among themselves, but now he again made his presence known.

"I have taken care of most of the paper work all that needs to be done is for both you and Draco sign the paperwork in the presence of a social worker. I have contacted a trustworthy social worker and if you want she is wiling to come by today. If that is so I need to talk to you in private more about all the procedures."

Arthur looked over at his wife, and she gave him a small nod.

"We would like to do everything today, but I think Draco should be there when we sign the papers. I want to make sure he is ok with everything."

Albus nodded and then turned to Don. "Do you think he will sleep for the rest of the day or will he be up for lunch?"

"He hasn't been sleeping so I expect he will sleep through lunch. He might wake up sometime later this afternoon though."

The Headmaster nodded. "Maybe after he wakes up we can move him back to the Burrow and we can take care of all the technical aspects there. I believe Severus and I were going to go over today to help strengthen your wards."

Molly and Arthur nodded while Bill pipped up.

"I can help with the wards as well if you need me. I've been working at Gringott, and the Goblins are willing to help. Nothing is stronger than wards set by Goblins."

Albus thought for a moment. "If you think they will agree then that would be a very good idea. Today, Severus and I will set some up so that Draco can go home and then tomorrow they can come and set theirs."

Bill nodded. "I should go and set that up with them. You know how long it can take to bargain with a Goblin."

When Bill saw Albus nod, he got off the bed. He came over and kissed his sister's forehead and then hugged all his brothers including Harry and Hermione.

"I'll see you guys soon. No more getting into trouble."

With a sharp look at the twins, the eldest Weasley left through the floo to head to Gringotts.

After his brother left Charlie got off the bed. "I should be going as well. I left a baby Dragon down with Hagrid last night and if you don't want another Norbert I should probably go get him sooner rather than later."

Most looked at Charlie with confusion except for Albus who had a twinkle in his eye, Harry, Ron, and the twins who looked a bit guilty, and Severus who was looking at the young man incredulity.

Recovering form his shock after a moment Severus looked over at Harry. "So there was a Dragon here at Hogwarts last year. It appears that I owe Mr. Malfoy an apology and someone owes an explanation."

Albus reached out and patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Now, now Severus. I shall tell you later of what happened, but for now what is in the past is in the past. Am I right?"

Sighing Severus nodded. "You are right Albus, but you will tell me what happened. Understood?"

Smiling Albus nodded and absently noticed the look of relief on both Harry and Ron's face. He may act like an old coot most of the time, but when it came to the safety of the castle, and it's students Albus knew everything that went on. There was nothing more important to him then the safety of his students and if he had truly thought that the baby dragon posed a danger he would have stepped in immediately.

Brightening Albus clapped his hands. "Now, I believe it is time for a little lunch! Why don't you children go and look at the end of the hall here and see what the house elves brought you? Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Potter please stay here for a moment though so that Madam Pomfrey can give you a once over."

All the children jumped to comply with the Headmaster, and Charlie quietly moved to the door so that he could avoid any further questions about the dragon he had picked up here last year. As everyone was jumping to do as they were bid, Madam Pomfrey came out of her storage closet hearing her name being called. Coming over to the bed the Headmaster vaguely gestured to the bed and Poppy nodded understanding at once.

"Go hop into the other bed Mr. Potter and I'll be with you in a moment."

Harry nodded and jumped into the bed next to Ginny's. While he did so Poppy began running scans over the young girl just making sure that she had not missed anything earlier. Fortunately, this also gave her a few moments to explain to the girl what had happened to her, for no one had told her anything yet. After her scans showed what she had expected, Poppy sat down on the side of the girl's bed.

"Dear, has anyone told you what happened last night?"

She very well knew that no one had, but the child did not know that, and sometimes it could be disconcerting if she jumped right into what happened.

When the small first year shook her head, the Nurse gave a small nod in understanding. She then began to explain all of the happenings of last night. It all went well until that is Poppy began explaining how Voldemort had tampered with her mind making her forget things of controlling her actions. The poor girl started to panic and at the slight mention of seeing a Mind Healer and it seemed as if she began to shut down. Her whole body became ridged, and her eyes became glassy.

Fortunately, Don had stayed near by in case this happened. While the Mediwitch was a wonderful school nurse she did not have the natural ability of calming magic. Quickly the Healer came and sat on the other side of the bed and gently placed one hand on the girl's forehead and one on her chest pushing her gently down onto her back as he did. Carefully the man sent as much calming magic into the child as he thought she could handle and was greatly relieved when the color in the girl's cheeks started to return. While this was all happening, Albus had to almost restrain the distraught parents from trying to go and comfort their distraught child. He really did understand how hard it was for parents to see their children hurt, but he also knew how important it was for the Healers to do their jobs.

When Ginny was calm enough Don took over explaining about the Mind Healer she was going to have to see. Unfortunately, his hands were full with all his patents so he had to refer her over to someone else, but despite all the guilt he felt he thought it might be for the better. Sometimes girls felt more comfortable talking with Woman and vise versa.

Eventually, the first-year girl was nodded her head and understanding everything the Healer was saying to her. He had assured her no one thought she was crazy, something her brothers had told her led her to believe that anyone who saw a Mind Healer was. He also had to assure her a few times that it was quite normal to see someone after such a traumatic event. After those assurances though, the poor girl had calmed and finally relaxed back into her bed.

With the child relaxed Albus gave a small nod to Molly indicating that she could give her the tray of food that the house elf had brought her. Happy to be able to finally do something for her child she picked up the tray and settled down on the side of the bed that Don had vacated for her.

"Do you want some soup Ginny?"

Seeing that the smallest Weasley was now in good, capable hands Poppy and Don turned to Harry's bed. Don had talked with the Healer who had performed the surgery, but he really wanted to see for himself that the incision was healing nicely.

The two walked over to the bed that Severus was already sitting on comforting the small boy. It seemed that they were having a serious conversation. Don heard a few mentions of Draco so he placed a gentle hand on Poppy's arm to hold her back so that they could finish their conversation.

In just a few minutes, Severus noticed the Healer's presence and waved them near.

"Don, Harry has a question about Draco, maybe you would be the best one to answer him."

The Healer nodded and came over to sit on the other side of the bed.

"What is your question Harry?"

"When is Draco going to be all better?"

Don gave a small smile at the innocent question. He knew form what he had heard last year Harry would not have cared one bit how his rival healed, but things change when you find out that you have more in common then you knew. Although, this was something that you never wished to have in common with anyone.

"Everyone heals differently Harry. He will heal in time, but let's focus on you right now. Ok?"

Harry reluctantly nodded.

"Now, let Poppy do her scan and then the House Elves brought you something to eat. You don't have to stay in bed, but I thought you might want a little space from your friends."

Another nod came from the boy, and he shifted his bottom on the bed a little causing Don to give a small smile.

"I also assume it's more comfortable than a hard chair."

This time Harry's nod was not reluctant or small; it was large and vigorous causing everyone near to smile.

"That's what I thought. Now, hold still for a moment so Madam Pomfrey can cast her spell."

Harry did as he was told and Poppy cast the simple diagnostic spell over Harry. After just a few moments Poppy looked up from the paper the spell had created and nodded to the Healer.

"Everything looks fine. A little magical exhaustion, but he will recover by tomorrow."

Both Don and Severus nodded happily. Don the reached forward and started to undo the sling gently.

"Do you mind if I have a quick look Harry?"

Slowly Harry shook his head so the Healer continued to unwrap his arm. Then, very gently he rolled up the sleeve and pulled back the bandages so he could take a quick look at where the Healers had operated. Don was pleased it looked pink and healthy. With a small smile Don then wrapped it back up, rolled the sleeve back down and put it back in the sling.

Don looked up and smiled at the boy. "It looks great Harry. You'll only have a small scar no one will ever notice."

As Harry gave another nod Severus came over and placed his tray of food on the waiting lap.

"Try to eat everything here Harry and don't forget to drink all your milk first."

"Yes daddy."

As Harry began to eat Don turned to Severus. "I spoke with Pam today. She said that she would like to come over sometime this afternoon to go over Harry's schoolwork. He still needs to catch up and missing yesterday and today is not helping. Also, it will give you some time to go over to Burrow with Albus to set up the wards."

Severus gave a small nod. "That sounds like a good idea. Thank you for thinking of everything Don."

The Healer just smiled at Severus. "Go now, I see Albus beaconing you over so you two can leave. I'll stay here and make sure Harry eats enough."

The man gave another nod before turning back to Harry. "I'll be back later Harry. Pam will be by soon so that you can study some."

Taking another bite of his food Harry nodded. Seeing the small nod Severus turned and started to walk to Albus who was already heading to the floo with Arthur.


	18. A New Home

I am so sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to write. What with the holidays and family issues I have barely had time to sit down and write and when I have I end up just deleting what I had written and starting over again. haha I am _way_ too picky!

I hope everyone had a wonderful new year and everyone can stick to their resolution! :)

Oh and by the way I posted a one shot on here called "Recovery". It was one of those stories that got stuck in my head and would not let me write anything until I wrote that down. Another reason this is so late! haha If you want to check it out, that would be cool. :)

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><p>Sleepily Draco opened his eyes. At first, he couldn't tell where he was, but then everything from the last ten hours came back to him full force. He had finally told Uncle Sev what happened at home, his mother abandoned him and the Weasley's were going to take him in. Who would have imagined that all of that could have happened in such a short amount of time?<p>

Turning over so that he was no longer staring at the ceiling he caught sight of Mr. Weasley smiling at him warmly from a chair across the room. Slowly the man stood up and came to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hi there Draco. How are you feeling?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders into the pillows. If he were honest, he didn't know how he felt. On one hand, he was extremely grateful to the man sitting beside him, but at the same time he felt a great pang of loss in the pit of his stomach.

Slowly Arthur reached forward and rested his hand on the boy's forehead. Still smiling the man brushed back the blond hair and ruffled it a bit.

"Can you be honest with me for a moment Draco?"

Draco nodded and ignored the fact that he hated his hair ruffled like that. It just mussed it up, and he worked so hard to keep it flat.

"Are you ok coming to stay with me and my family? I know that you and Ron do not have the best relationship."

Again Draco nodded. "I didn't really mean all those things I said. I was afraid my father would find out if I did not say anything."

"I know you didn't Draco and I need you to promise me that if Ron gives you any trouble that you will tell me or Molly, ok? The same goes with the rest of our brood too. I don't want them making your life difficult and I have made that clear to them."

Draco looked at Arthur and for some strange reason he felt a warm feeling begin to rise into his chest. No one had ever made sure he was comfortable like that before. It was always take what comes and don't look for anyone to save you.

"Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me Draco. Now if you want, Severus and Albus got back from putting up the wards on the house a little while ago and assured me it was safe to bring you home. I know it won't be anything as you're used to, but we can go set up your room and get you settled."

"What about school?"

"Your Head of House excused you for a week so that you can come home and rest. Also, this will give you a chance to get to know Molly and myself a little better."

Draco nodded. "When can we go? I don't really like the hospital wing."

"As soon as you're ready. Also, we thought that it might be best to sign the guardianship papers tonight. If that is ok with you. If not, and you want to think a bit more that is fine too."

"I want to do it tonight if that is ok."

Arthur nodded. "Ok then Draco, why don't you get yourself dressed and we will floo over. I set some clothing in the bathroom for you to put on."

Draco nodded and Arthur got up so that the boy could slip out of bed. The boy padded over to the bathroom and with a small blush and quick look back at Arthur he closed the door causing the man to chuckle a little.

It was funny how boy's at this age were so easy to embarrass. He remembered when his older boy's were like this. It had caused many moments where both he and Molly had to hide their smiles at their antics. Oh, to be young.

In just a few minutes, Draco emerged from the bathroom with his pajama in his hands.

"Where do I put these?"

"Just put them on the bed and Madam Pomfrey will take care of them for you. Is there anything you want to do or anyone you want to see before we go?"

Draco looked down and after a moment he looked back up. "Can I see Uncle Sev before we go?"

"Of course Draco. I believe he is with Harry. Do you wish to speak with him alone?"

The boy shook his head. "No it's ok. Why is Potter here though? Is he ok?"

Arthur smiled. "Harry will be just fine. Now let's get going I know Molly wanted to give you your first home cooked meal tonight. She kept complaining how you were just too skinny."

Draco blushed and looked away making Arthur smile even more. When he saw that Draco really looked concerned though he reached out and gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But you know she says that about just about anyone. It's nothing to worry about, just be prepared for a feast you'll never be able to finish."

Looking a bit more reassured Draco nodded and the two began to walk towards where Severus and Harry were on the bed next to where Ginny still lay. When they reached the bed, it looked as if Harry had fallen asleep just minutes before as Severus was pulling a tray from the boy's lap and lowering the headboard.

Healing always took a lot out on the body and in Harry's case it was especially true, because he was so small for his age. So it was not a bit surprising when Harry had fallen asleep mid bite. Severus had just cleaned it away and decided that a nap was indeed in order. As he was lowering the headboard though he was slightly surprised to see his godson walking towards him with Arthur gently pushing him forward.

A few feet away Arthur stopped and gave Draco a slightly larger gentle push towards his godfather. Draco looked back at the man a little hesitantly, but Arthur just gave him a reassuring smile and nod. When Draco came close enough Severus patted the chair next to him so that they boy would take it.

"Hi Draco. How are you feeling?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Are you mad at me?"

Severus shook his head. "How long have you known me Draco? You know, all last year I was trying to get you to speak with someone so that you would be going home to a safe environment. I understand that you were afraid, and I am very proud of you for accepting our help. Now come here and let me assure myself that you are ok."

Draco moved a little closer in his chair and Severus leaned forward and grabbed the boy up into a hug. Draco stiffened at first, but then relaxed into his godfather's arms. Over the course of the years Draco had learned to accept the small bit of comfort his godfather had given him and even craved it at times. At first he was always unsure, but then he always managed to relax and enjoy the warmth.

"I am so very proud of you Draco, so proud."

Severus then pulled the boy back from his a little so that he could look Draco in the face. "I know you and Harry do not have a wonderful relationship, but I know he is willing give you a second chance if you give him one. No matter what happens though I will always be here for you even if you two do not get along."

The boy nodded and looked down. "I wanted to apologize to him for all the mean things I said to him last year."

Severus smiled. "I would wake him, but he needs his rest, and I am sure Mr. Weasley here would like to get you home. Next time, you see him you can apologize, ok?"

The Professor looked up at Arthur for confirmation and the man nodded, but opened his mouth to speak. "Only if you remember to call me Arthur, both of you."

Both nodded and Severus helped the boy off his chair so that he could go back over to the man who was waiting for him. As soon as he reached Arthur the man put an arm around the boy's shoulders and led him over to where his kids were so that he could say his goodbyes.

When they reached the children all became quiet when they saw Draco's presence. Arthur sent a warning glare to his children over the boy's head, but it seemed that his youngest boy was not receiving the message because he seemed to scowl all the more at the duo.

"We are going to leave now. As I told you earlier Draco is going to come live with us, we thought that it would be nice for Draco to come home for a little while to relax so he will be back in a week or so. Remember what your mother and I said earlier and behave yourselves."

Watching three out of four nod Arthur sighed as he saw Ron still scowling. Defeated he beckoned to his wife.

"Could you please take Draco home? I think I need to have a chat with Ron here."

Molly nodded, but Draco looked up at him in fear. "Please don't leave me."

Sighing Arthur knelt down before Draco. "I'm not leaving you Draco. I just thought that you might want to go home with Molly while I talk with Ron here."

"Can I stay with you?"

Arthur raised a brow and shared a look with his wife. It seemed that Draco had formed some kind of bond with him.

"You can stay with me if you want, but I'm just going to be a few more minutes here. Can you wait over by Molly while I have a small talk with Ron?"

Draco nodded and moved over to the woman who gently rested her hand on his shoulder. Arthur nodded while getting off his knees and went over to his youngest son.

"Ron, come here for a moment please."

Ron grumbled something, but moved slowly over to his father. Gently Arthur rested a hand on his shoulder and used his other to gently tip the boy's chin up so that they met eyes.

"Do you want to tell me what is going on Ron? I can see you are upset."

Ron tried to look away, but unfortunately Arthur grip was too strong for him to move. When Arthur saw his sons reaction, he sighed and knelt down before the boy resting both hands on his shoulders.

"Talk to me Ron, what's wrong?"

Looking down Arthur had to struggle to hear, but eventually he did hear the boy's mumble.

"Why does _he_ have to come live with us?"

Arthur gave another small sigh as he looked at his forlorn son. "Ron, did you hear what your mother and I were telling you guys before?"

The boy shook his head.

"I promise to explain everything to you later then, but for now all you need to know is Draco cannot go home to his parents and needs somewhere to live. Your mother and I cannot just let Draco go elsewhere when we are very capable of taking care of him. I know this will take some time to get use to having him as a new brother, but promise me you will try?"

"But _dad_..."

"No buts Ron, I need you to promise me."

"Fine. I promise."

Arthur sighed and pulled Ron into a hug. Wrapping his arms around his boy he was pliantly surprised when Ron melted into his touch. Maybe this was all the boy needed.

"I promise you Ron we are not replacing you in any way shape or form. There is no way we could ever replace something as special as you in our hearts. We love you more than you know Ron."

Arthur pulled back and saw his boy nod and the few tears in his eyes. So he had hit the nail on the head with that last statement, the poor boy. He then watched as Ron took his sleeve and wiped away the tears that had formed.

"Are you ok now Ron? Please tell me if you are not."

"Thank you dad. I love you too."

Arthur nodded and stood up removing his hands from the boy's shoulders. "Go see your brothers now and ask for them to fill you in what you missed. Write to us and tell us all you are doing in school and don't hesitate to floo call us if you need anything."

The boy nodded and walked back over to where his brothers were talking with Hermione. As soon as he reached the group they pulled him into their circle and began conversing with him. Arthur smiled and turned back to the newest member of their family.

"Come on Draco let's go home now."

Taking hold of the boy's hand the three turned to the floo and flooed home to the Burrow.

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><p>While Molly, Arthur, and Draco arrived back at the Burrow the four children were talking quickly to one another. Mostly informing Ron what had happened when he had been lost in his anger induced haze and scolding him for his behavior. As the three continued to whack him on the back of the head and talk with him Ron felt worse and worse. He really acted like a prat.<p>

By the end of their discussion Ron felt horrible and had lowered his head so low that he was looking at the top of his feet. When the twins saw the tears start to form in their brother's eyes though Fred looked at George and put a gentle arm around their younger brother's shoulder.

"It's ok though little brother. You just let your anger take control. We will help you work on how to control that. Did you have enough to eat or did you want more lunch?"

"I'm fine and I'm really sorry I was a prat."

Fred sighed and gave Ron's shoulder another gentle squeeze while George reached around draped his arm around Ron's other shoulder.

"It's fine, we still love you and always will. Now come on and let's go see Ginny."

While the kids moved over to sit by their sister Severus watched with mild amusement. It was good that the twins were looking out for Draco, but also for their brother. His sight then wandered over to the girl on the bed. The poor thing had a significant recovery in front of her. Lord Voldemort had messed with her mind and although Poppy had assured Molly that it was nothing that could not be fixed it was still going to be a trying time ahead of them. Fortunately, the Mind Healer Don had referred her to was very talented and knew would help her a lot.

Just then Severus heard the floo go off behind him. Casually he turned to see who it was and was pleased to see that Pamela had come through. Inwardly he sighed in relief, really and truly he needed a break, no matter what he told everyone else. Now all he had to do was protest that he did not need any rest and then pretend to sulk away when she won. Sometimes he wondered if people saw through his little game and just played along or they really thought he was that stubborn.

Quickly the woman walked over to the boy on the bed, and the dutiful parent sitting close by. Smiling at the man she took the seat next to him and gave him a searching look.

"I'll watch Harry for you and when he wakes we'll work on some homework. I want you to go lie down in your own bed right now."

True to his form Severus scowled and opened his mouth to protest. Before he could utter a word though Pam gave him a glare of her own and pointed to the door of the hospital wing.

"Bed. Now. No arguments."

Sighing Severus just nodded and got up from hi chair. As he walked to the door, he had to wonder how in the world he could be bossed around so easily, where were the remarks he had planned? Either he was getting soft, or he really was too tired to put up much of a fight. The more he thought of it; the more he just convinced himself he was just tired. Next time he would put up a bigger fight. There was no way he had gotten that soft. Conveniently he was forgetting just how tenderly he had held Harry earlier.

Just fifteen minutes after Severus had left the room two eyelids started to flutter open and two green eyes appeared. Reaching over Pamela gently rested the boy's glasses on his face as he began to regain his baring. Sitting up and looking over Harry was a little surprised to see Pamela sitting by his bedside smiling at him. He looked around for his new father, but he was no where to be found. So he looked back at Pamela he shot her a questioning glance.

"Good afternoon Harry. I am sure you are wondering where Severus is. He went down to take a little nap and thought that we might work on a bit of your schoolwork so that you can catch up a bit more. Is that all right?"

Harry gently nodded and sat up a bit more in bed. "Will he be back?"

The Healer gave the small boy a gentle smile. "I don't know, but let's let him sleep. Maybe later we can go down to the dungeons together, and you can show me your room. How about that?"

Harry nodded and noticed the textbooks Pamela had started to pull out of the small sack by her feet. It amazed him, because the woman kept pulling out book after book, yet the bag surely could not hold all that weight. It was so small!

Chuckling a little at the boy's amazement Pamela continued to pull the numerous books out of her bag. When she was done, she smiled at Harry and gave a small wink.

"It's an enlargement charm. No matter what size the bag is on the outside it can be enlarged on the inside and can be altered so that the weight is no different than it would have been otherwise. If you want after we work on your homework and some reading I can show you the spell?"

"That would be brilliant!"

Pamela smiled. "It is agreed then. After you finish all your work, I will teach you that spell. If you want I can teach you a new spell after each one our lessons. It can be a bit of a reward. What do you think?"

Harry shyly smiled and nodded. He liked that idea a lot. It would give him something to look forward to after those reading lessons when he felt so inadequate.

"Let's get started then. Are you comfortable working on the bed or do you want to move to a table?"

"I'm fine here if that is ok with you."

"Ok then let me get you a tray so that you can write and have a place for you to put your books."

Pamela got up and went to retrieve the tray that she had spotted earlier on one of the tables near the floo. As soon as she picked it up she brought it back to Harry and placed it gently on his lap. She then picked up his Transfiguration book and opened it up to where Severus had left off the night before and placed it on the tray in front of Harry.

"Why don't you read the next chapter to yourself silently and if you have any trouble let me know so I can help you. When you are finished I'll help you with these questions, ok?"

Harry nodded and looked down at the book in front of him and started to read. A little more than a page later Pamela stopped him with a gentle hand on his shoulder as she sat next to him on the bed.

"Remember to read slowly Harry. Why don't you follow the words with your finger so that it will be easier to slow yourself down."

Harry nodded and continued to read only this time his finger followed each and every word. Pamela watched along and was quite satisfied when she saw that reading with his finger following was indeed helping. She knew that when he was around his peers he would be to embarrassed to use this trick, but at least at home it might help him.

Just ten minutes later Harry was finished with the passage and looked up at his teacher smiling. "I think I'm ready for those questions."

Pamela smiled at the boy. "You are? Well then let's get to them."

Pamela pulled out the question sheet Minerva had given her and placed it in front of Harry. It was really wonderful when the teachers worked with her and did a little extra work to help their students. She had asked all of Harry's teachers to write out questions to touch on the points Harry was supposed to touch upon in his essay so that it would help him put his thoughts together so that when he began to write he would know what he was writing about. It was also very important for his reading comprehension, for he would now know whether he had read the passage well enough to understand what it was trying to say.

All of the teachers had readably agreed to help the young boy except for one, Professor Binns. Although in the past he had always ignored her when she had tried to help a student in the past. He was stuck in his old teaching styles and seemed that he was in no hurry to budge. It was no matter though, she had already enough material from past experiences on the goblin wars to help Harry write his essays.

Putting all that beside for the moment Pamela focused her skills on Harry again. With little help Harry answered all the questions Minerva had prepared for him. When he was finished, Pam helped him then write the assigned essay he would have to turn in the next day.

The small dark haired boy seemed to do well writing his essay. Pamela stopped him a few times and corrected many things such as spelling and simple grammar errors, but overall it was a very well thought out and written essay. It seemed that having Harry write the answers to every point he had to touch on helped him a great deal.

When he was finished with his first essay Pamela gave Harry the next book and his next assignment to work on while she gave Harry's essay one final look over banishing the greater of the ink splotches. As she did so she made a mental note to continue with Harry's penmanship lessons as well with his other subjects. If she were honest the boy's handwriting looked like spidery chicken scratch, not much better than the esteemed Professor Snape's handwriting. With a silent chuckle, she shook the vision or Professor Snape taking penmanship lessons from her. That would never happen in a million years.

Just a few hours later Harry had completed all of the schoolwork he had missed the day before and today. All of his teachers had agreed that if he could complete the schoolwork he had missed yesterday and today he should be fine with missing the first week or so since Pamela had made sure that he had at least read and understood all the concepts they had covered in class.

After finishing his work Pam spent another hour or so working with Harry to improve his reading and taught him a few tricks that wold help him silently read in class. The two then worked on Harry's penmanship a bit more and to Harry's surprise and great delight Pamela had pulled out a small rainbow colored grippy thing that would help Harry keep his fingers in the right spot as he wrote with the quill.

Still delighted from Pam's surprise Harry became even more ecstatic when Pamela started to teach him that new spell. First, they practiced the wand movement; it was sort of like a circle, but it had a sharp flick at the end. When Pam was sure he had gotten the wand movement down she carefully taught him how to pronounce the two words. By end of the small lesson Harry was very tired, but very happy that he had learned a new spell!

Exhausted, but antsy to get out of bed Harry could not get up fast enough when Pam said that they were done for the day and asked whether he would like to show her his new room. The Healer just laughed at Harry's antics and helped the boy put away all the books they had gotten out of her bag as well as making sure Harry's work was well put away and ready to hand in the next day.

When they were done, Harry made the bed he was in and Pamela finished putting away the rest of the mess they had made in the few short hours they had occupied the hospital wing with their studying.

With everything cleaned up Harry turned to Pam and the Healer gave him a gentle smile and an elbow to take.

"Come on then let's go down to your rooms. We want to be quiet when we get down there though, we don't want to wake Severus up."

Harry nodded and let Pamela slip her elbow in his and lead him out of the hospital wing.

The trip down to the dungeons was short, but by the end Harry was almost out of breath. It was still quite evident that the boy was exhausted by last nights wandering and this mornings events. Reaching the door Harry said the password, and they both entered. Remembering Pamela's earlier words Harry tiptoed to his door and opened it so Pam could enter.

Amused Pamela just followed Harry's lead and entered their quarters and then the boy's room. When they entered Harry's room Pam shut the door behind her and cast a silencing spell on the room so they would not wake Severus.

"We can talk normally Harry. I just cast a silencing spell so we do not disturb Severus."

Harry nodded, and his eyes grew bright. "Isn't my room Brilliant? I've never had something so big before!"

Pamela gave the boy a soft sad smile as she nodded. "It really is a beautiful room. Do you want to show me those animals on your bed? They look like the perfect thing to hug when you're not feeling well or are afraid."

Happily he nodded and rushed over to his bed where he picked up his small kneazle and the lion and brought them over for Pam to look at. Harry handed Lio over to Pam to inspect, but held on tightly to Shadow.

Smiling Pam picked Lio up and looked over at Harry. "And who might I ask is this fine young Lion?"

"His name is Lio."

"That is a wonderful name. Who is that in your arms there? He looks like as he can give some wonderful hugs."

"This is Shadow. Severus bought him for me."

Pamela gave him another smile and handed back Harry's Lion. "And I'm glad he did. Now, I heard something about Severus giving you a small notebook to write in. Do you want to write for a little while? I can help you with your penmanship a little more if you want."

Harry blushed and looked down a bit. "Severus spelled it so that I can only read it. Is that ok?

The Healer nodded. "Yes Harry that is fine. I can just correct your grip if I need to. Do you want to tell me what you're going to write? You don't have to, but it might help you form your words on paper if you tell me."

Slowly Harry looked down and blushed. No way was he going to tell her that he was going to write about last night and the spanking this morning! That was just too embarrassing!

Pamela just smiled knowingly. "That's ok Harry. Why don't you go and get out your journal and start working on it. Do you mind if I have a seat over here?"

Pamela pointed to the chair that was set next to Harry's desk. Severus had set it there the night before so that when Harry needed help with his homework he could come in a sit next to him as we worked. It just gave them another option other than the kitchen table.

Harry shook his head and walked over to the desk to fish out his journal and a well of ink that he could stick his quill in. Pamela took her seat next to the desk and pulled out a few more of those rubbery grippy things for Harry's quills. As soon as the boy sat down Pamela put them on the desk in front of him.

"I want you to put these on all of your quills, ok Harry. If you lose some that is ok, just tell me so I can get you some more."

Harry nodded and put one on the quill he was going to use. He then opened up his journal and started to write about everything that had happened the past day and that morning.

An hour passed this way. With Harry, writing and Pamela helping him every now and again with his grip and holding the quill up right and not slanted like Harry's wrist wanted to move. She supposed that his wrist wanted to do that because of the recent break. Maybe she should enquire more on that wrist from Don, there might still be something wrong with it.

When Harry was almost finished writing in his journal the two heard a soft knock on the door. While Pamela had put a silencing charm on the room, she made it so that they could still hear anyone who wanted to come in just incase Severus wanted to be let in.

Looking up Pamela called for the person to come in and was happy to see a more rested Severus entering the room.

Pamela then turned and patted Harry gently on the arm to gain his attention.

"I'll be right back Harry. I'm just going to talk to Severus for a moment. Keep on writing you are doing an excellent job."

Harry smiled at them both and then looked back down to his small book and continued to write away furiously. Pamela smiled at the hard working boy and got up from her chair to go and join Severus outside Harry's room.

As soon as Pamela left the room she shut the door behind her and reversed the silencing spell so Harry could not hear them talking about him. Then smiling at Severus she pointed to the couch that was in the living room

Worriedly Severus looked at Pam. "Is everything ok?"

Pamela just smiled at him. "Yes, you worry wort. I just wanted to fill you in on Harry is progressing and tell you a few new techniques that will help Harry with his studies."

Severus let out a small breath and nodded. He then followed the Healer over to the couch and sat down next to her as she faced him. Gently Pamela explained all she had observed while she had been working with Harry and everything they had accomplished. She also told him what tricks Harry had learned today to help him read and formulate his ideas for his essays as well of what he could do to further enforce these habits.

Quietly throughout Pamela's explanation Severus either nodded his head or jotted the idea on the pad of paper he had conjured up so that he could soak up all of what the Healer was telling him.

When she finished her explanation of how Harry was doing in his studies Pam gave Severus a kind smile and a questioning look.

"Do you have any questions or want to know anything else?"

Severus shook his head, but then a thought struck his head. "You said something about Harry's wrist and how he holds his quill? Could it be because of his other arm in a sling? He could feel a little awkward at the moment and be compensating for not being able to hold that paper down with his hand or something."

Pamela gave a small nod. "I had thought of that, but the last time I worked with him I could see him fighting to stay in the position Don had placed his hand in. These grips will help keep his fingering and if possible when you see his hand leaning try to straighten it or remind him. As you know my Healing specialty is with learning disabilities so I will have to ask Don who has more practical experience to examine his wrist again. I don't think there is anything wrong, but it won't hurt to check him over again."

Again, Severus nodded and then jutted is head out towards the door Harry was in. "Otherwise how does Harry seem to you. Was he worried about anything or act strange in any way?"

The Healer reached out and patted Severus on the hand. "Don't worry so much Severus. Harry is doing just fine. To answer your question though, no he did not act strange or worried. You did the right thing this morning. Setting boundaries for him was a smart decision and I really am glad you enforced his boundaries. If you had not he might be, no scratch that, he would be in worse shape right now. He is going to push his boundaries though, and see just how far you will let him push. Don't be surprised if he acts out soon, just treat him the way you have been. Kind, but firm."

Severus sighed and nodded. He knew that Harry might act out to see how far he could take things. Children put in new situations often did that, but he had hoped that Harry would just skip passed that phase. Having a Healer tell him that Harry might go though that phase though washed that hope right out of his mind.

Seeing the first signs of worry creep up into Severus eyes Pamela reached out again and patted his hand again. "I did not tell you that so that you could worry Severus, just so that you could be prepared if he does act out."

Watching Severus for a few moments in silence Pamela decided that the worry was not going to go away ant time soon so it just might be best for her to move from the subject entirely. Maybe that would help the man calm down.

"Now, Don is coming by tomorrow to check out the bite on Harry's arm so I will just ask him to check out his wrist while he is at it. It's not urgent so I don't want you to worry and besides Don, and I have a dinner tonight that he is not going to miss no matter what! If I have to drag that man out of the office by his ear I will just to get him to just one dinner! How hard can it be to make one dinner or at least call if you are not going to make it! I mean I waited there for more than an hour! I understand that it was an emergency, but he could had at least let me know he was not going to make it!"

By the end of Pam's little rant Severus had a hand over his mouth and was trying with all his mite to not laugh. He was failing though, the thought of Don being dragged out by his ear was just too funny to imagine. Obviously, Pam was too lost in her rant to really remember just who she was talking to. Severus didn't stop her though, he just sat back and imagined all the painful scenarios the woman painted forth with her words. It was just to entertaining to stop her, plus it would be excellent black mail for Don later on.

Seeming to finally realize where she was Pam put her hand over her mouth and turned wide eyes to look at Severus. "You are not to utter a word of any of what I just said to anyone, understand? If you do..."

Anyone who thought Severus looked scary when he was threatening people would have melted into a puddle at Pam's feet with the look she sent Severus. All of Severus's thoughts of blackmail went out of the window the minute Pam threw him that look. He was just beginning to see what a scary witch she could be when provoked.

"I...I won't say anything."

Pam smiled at the man in front of her. "That is a very smart move Severus. Now why don't you go and see Harry and I will take my leave."

Severus nodded and watched as the woman got off his couch and walked to Harry room to undo the wards she had placed. What surprised both the Healer and Severus though was when she opened the door to say her farewells to Harry he jumped out his chair and gave her a one armed hug. As soon as she recovered from her startled state she hugged him back until he pulled away from her to look up into her face.

"Thank you for helping me with my schoolwork."

Gently smiling she patted the boy on the shoulder. "It's no problem Harry. I am just glad that I can help you. I have to go now, but I will be back tomorrow so I can help you with anything that gives you trouble."

Harry nodded and gave the witch one last hug before she left through the floo. After the Healer left Severus came over and draped his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Are you ready for a little dinner Harry?"

Harry nodded happily. "Yes Daddy. Can we have turkey?"

Severus smiled and ruffled his boy's hair. "I think that can be arranged as long as you eat all your vegetables as well. They make you grow nice and strong."

"Ok."

"Go wash your hands then and get yourself ready. I'll order the food."

As Harry nodded he rushed over to the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind him.

The rest of the night passed quietly for the two. They shared a very good meal where Severus actually ate a decent portion, after Don's potion that is, and Harry ate more than he thought was capable. After they were finished, to Severus's joy Harry opened up a bit and told him of what he had written in his journal and all he had learned that day from Pam.

* * *

><p>While Harry was calming down to a somewhat regular life or at least a bit more normal than it had been, back at the Burrow Draco Malfoy was being shown his new home. As soon as they had flooed back to their house Draco had practicality attached himself to Arthur. If it was not such a death grip and obvious that the poor boy was afraid, it would have been cute to see the twelve-year old act this way.<p>

Surprisingly Arthur had somehow managed to pry Draco's fingers from his robes, but the boy did not leave his side to explore as a normal child would. Instead, the two walked through the house together, the older wizard showing the younger where everything was and where he was going to sleep.

Bill, they're oldest had moved out the year before as had Charlie the second oldest so their room happened to be free. They had promised that Percy could move there and have his own room, but they were sure that he would understand that Draco was in need of it more. Initially, they wanted the young boy bunk up with Ron who was his age, but then they thought of how he had acted in the hospital wing and had thought this was the better route. It would also give Draco a sanctuary to escape to if he felt the need.

When they entered the room Draco was surprised to see a trunk of his stuff from home at the edge of his bed with a small while envelope on top of it. Confusion evident he turned and shot a questioning look at Arthur.

Arthur sighed and led the boy to sit on his new bed. Sitting down next to him Arthur made sure that Draco was paying close attention before he spoke and tried to explain.

"Your mother talked to the Headmaster after she left you in the hospital wing. Se arranged for your things to be sent here by a house elf. She thought that as soon as your father heard of this new arrangement he would destroy your things so she sent them here for you to use instead. That letter on top of that trunk is from her. If you want I can be here while you read it or I can leave and give you some privacy. It is whatever you feel comfortable with."

Ever since Arthur had mentioned the trunk and even before Draco's glance could not be pried away from the trunk of his things and especially that letter. With his eyes still far away Draco nodded and muttered something like "you can be here." to Arthur.

The man just nodded and reached over to grab the letter. Carefully he handed the envelope to the boy and watched as shaky hands opened it to view the contents.

_Dear Draco,_

_I am sorry that everything has happened as it has, but this is for the best. Severus is right you need to get away from your father; he has hurt you too much already. I would have acted sooner, but I must apologize I was looking out for my own interests more than yours._

_I am also sorry that I am not leaving your father with you. This I am doing for you and hope someday you will understand. You see if I left with you; your father would not rest until we were found and "punished". I cannot do that to you, my little snake. You are much safer without me there._

_Promise me that you will behave for whoever takes you in. The Headmaster will not tell me where you are for your safety, and I cannot blame him. This will also be my last letter to you, and I beg you not to send me any. I do not want your father finding anything and tracking them to where you are._

_Make me proud my little snake and excel in life. I am sure one day we will be reunited again. Until then I love you with all my heart._

_Mother_

By the end of his mothers, letter Draco was looking down with tears filling his eyes. Seeing the impending tears Arthur was glad that Draco had allowed him to stay while he read his letter. Carefully he placed an arm around Draco's shoulders and held him close as the first as many sobs escaped his young body.

Almost a half hour passed by as Draco calmed down with the help of Arthur. When the most of the tears had fled his body the man next to him produced a handkerchief for him to use, but instead of just handing it to him the man gently began to clean his face for him. A gesture no one had ever done for him; it felt nice to be cared for.

"Do you want to talk about that letter or do you just want to lie down for a bit?"

Still somewhat in a daze Draco looked down at the letter he was still holding. "This is really happening isn't it?"

The man nodded and patted the boy's shoulder gently. "It is Draco, but we are here for you and always will be."

Nodding Draco let the letter fall to the floor. "I..I think I need to lie down for a little bit."

"Ok then Draco. There is a blanket right here for you and don't worry about unpacking right now, Molly will help you with that later."

Again, the boy nodded and let Arthur help him up onto the bed. Arthur then picked the letter up off the floor and set it on the desk gently. He knew the boy would want to keep that letter even if it was a painful memory.

"Have a nice rest and I'll come up to get you for dinner later. If you need or want anything just come get Molly or myself and we will help you all we can. Molly is going to Ginny later on so don't be surprised if you see her."

As Draco's eyes closed, Arthur pulled up the blanket over his new found son. He then crossed to the door closing it behind him and went to see whether Molly had brought home their other child yet.

A few hours later Draco woke up with a start. He had one of those nightmares again. With all the hustle and bustle of him leaving his home, and moving in with the Weasleys it seemed that his original problem had been forgotten.

Sitting up he rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around the room. He was now just taking in the state of the room he was in; he had been too absorbed in the letter before he had fallen asleep.

The room was quite a bit smaller than his old room, but it was more homy and a lot less stiff. It was strange even though he had only been here a few short hours he felt more at home in this room than he ever had at his parent's home. There, the walls had been chilly shades of silver and gray with a hard bed in the corner. This room though was painted in warm creams and browns and he had to admit that this was one of the most comfortable beds he had ever slept in.

Slipping out of the bed he quietly padded over to the trunk at the end of the bed. Carefully opening it he saw that his mother had not only packed his clothing, but had packed his childhood treasures as well.

There were only a few toys, but they were the ones his mother knew that he held dear. When he had turned ten his father had declared him too old for these small toys and had threatened to burn them if he did not throw them away first. Carefully his mother had taken them and had hidden them for him so that one day he could have them again. It was better than knowing that he would never be able to see his treasures again.

Picking up the teddy bear he hugged it close to his chest smelling in the sent of his mother's perfume that still lingered on the toy. Taking in a deep breath and after holding it for a moment he let it out as he brought the bear to his bedside table. Carefully he placed his beloved bear so that he rested on the wall and went back to his trunk.

Bending down again he took out the remaining toys from his trunk and brought them to sit on the shelf that was above his bed. Carefully placing the yo-yo, shrunken set of blocks and the shrunken baby broom Draco made sure that every item was pushed back far enough so that it would not fall or be knocked about in any way.

When he was sure his few things were safe he sat back on his bed and admired his work. Just then there was a soft knock on his door startling him, he had not expected anyone to come up to see him.

Quietly he gave the person behind the door permission for them to enter and swung his legs over the edge of the bed so that he would be more presentable to his guest.

Opening the door Molly came in with a small tray of tea and cookies for them to share. She had a charm on each of the rooms so that she would know whether the occupant was asleep or awake. Not so that she could spy on her children, she rarely glanced at it, but so that if she could make sure she was not disturbing them if she chose to knock on their door.

Smiling she came in and placed the tray next to the teddy bear on Draco's bedside table. She then sat sown in the available desk chair she pulled out from underneath the desk.

"How was your rest Draco?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, I guess."

With a small frown Molly decided to inquire further. "Just ok? Was anything wrong dear?"

Again Draco shrugged, but made no further move to comment.

Molly just gave a small sigh and realized that now might not be the best time to push for answers. They would come out sooner or later, and then they would be able to help him. Putting a smile back on her face she nodded her head. "That's ok dear. If anything does bother you all, you have to do is tell us. Now, I see you have already decided to unpack a bit. I brought you up some cookies and tea and thought I could help you if you want. How does that sound?"

"Ok."

Molly smiled at the boy again and poured some tea into two cups. "Do you want any cream or sugar?"

"A little cream please and can I have a cookie?"

"Of course you can dear, that's why I brought them. These are some of my favorites to make. Maybe you and I can bake some of them sometime."

Draco nodded his head and accepted both the cookie and cup of tea that was being offered to him. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome Draco. Does your little friend here want a cookie as well? He could use a little fatting up as well."

The boy blushed and looked down at his lap while he shook his head. "No, and it's ok to treat him like another toy. That's all he is, an inanimate object and it's immature to speak with it as if it had feelings."

While Draco was telling her about his bear she could just hear it being said in his father's voice. What a cruel man. Telling a child not to play with their stuffed animal.

Molly warmed her voice up a notch and gently placed a hand on Draco's knee. "You know Draco, here in this house it's all right to act silly and talk to our toys. It can actually make you feel better sometimes. I can tell you right now my doll Sally has heard many secrets no one else knows and because I tell her things I would not tell anyone else my chest feels lighter and I feel better. I think your teddy bear there would be more than accommodating for that job. Do you want to give it a go?"

Draco nodded as Molly placed the bear in his lap, but then looked back up at Molly.

"What do I say to him?"

"Well, you can tell him anything you want. Why don't you start by telling him how good those cookies are?" Molly smiled at the boy and moved the cup of tea away a bit so it was not knocked over.

Draco looked at the bear and told him how the cookies were cooked just the way he liked them; chewy in the middle, but crunchy on the outside. He also told the bear how he had never baked cookies before, and he thought that it would be fun.

That was a far as the conversation went, but Molly was pleased. It was a start. She really hoped that Draco would talk with the bear more often, maybe about not such pleasant topics. Don and Severus had said that the boy would likely not open up to any adults about his past easily and that it would be good for him to try to open up to a toy or write down his feelings. Severus had pipped up that Draco did not enjoy writing and it would be better for him to talk to a stuffed animal of sorts. That way he might be able to play for a few more years before he saw himself too old to do so.

As soon as Severus had mentioned a stuffed animal she had one picked out in her mind and was actually planning on giving it to him this evening. Fortunately, though his mother had packed him one of his own. For while the plushy she had picked out for him would suite him, it was old and had a few tears in it.

Pretty soon the two had finished their tea time and Draco was beginning to feel comfortable around Molly. There was something about her that just told him that everything was going to be ok, kind of like Arthur.

Molly then helped the boy unpack the rest of his clothing and belongings and place them on shelves in his closet. She also took the desecrate motions of looking at the tags to see what size the boy wore for future reference. She knew well how boy's shot up like bean stocks and was even preparing to have to buy new clothing for him.

When they had finished putting everything away it was almost time for dinner, and they were both feeling pretty hungry. So they made their way down to the kitchen, and Molly let the boy help her with the food. Normally, she would make him sit and rest while she worked, but she could tell that he just didn't have that in him. He seemed to genuinely want to help her and enjoying doing so.

With dinner on the table Molly called her daughter and Arthur down for dinner and was quite please when they all sat down that Ginny and Draco began to talk about school amicability. She really hopped that Draco would fit in well with her brood, and things seemed to be off to a good start.


	19. Friends

Hello! This is a bit of a long chapter, but really my chapters seem to be getting longer and longer! I don't know if that's a good thing or not! haha Thank you for all the reviews and I'm starting the new chapter right now! :)

LunaBeth203 - Here's some more Harry for you and I can almost garentee you some Harry and Draco later on.

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - haha I might just have Pam tell him about his handwriting, but I don't know I kind of like having Pam as a living character! :)

twilight1987 - Thank you! I don't think I'm anywhere near completing this. I think I'm just going to keep writting until I feel like I have hit a dead point or it feels right to end it.

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><p>The next morning while Harry was getting ready for school Severus watched from the doorway as Harry struggled to tie his tie. Gently smiling Severus knocked on the door frame to gain Harry's attention. The boy looked up and blushed a bit as he looked back down at the tie he was unable to tie.<p>

"Need a little help there? It's difficult doing that one handed, isn't it?"

Harry nodded, and dropped the ends of the tie he was holding. Embarrassed he shuffled his feet and looked up at his daddy still blushing.

"No need to be embarrassed. Come here you little scamp and let me help you. That's what I'm here for."

Harry walked over to Severus and let him take hold of the ends of his Gryffindor tie. Carefully the man tied it loosely, but comfortably for him.

"There we go Harry. Are you ready to go to class? Do you have everything you need?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I have everything. Pam said that she was going to come by again today, right?"

"Yes Harry, she will meet you here an hour after school ends. Is that ok with you?"

Again Harry nodded. "Don is coming after that, right?"

Smiling Severus nodded. "Yes, he is."

Harry looked down and Severus saw him biting his lip as if he were lost in a thought, but then he heard him mumble, 'That's good'.

Peaking Severus's curiosity and worry the man gently placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Is there any reason you want to see him?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and looked away blushing. "No, no reason. I just wanted to know."

Sighing Severus nodded accepting that Harry didn't want to tell him what was bothering him. He knew that later on when he met with Don the Healer would get it out of him. "Ok then. Fetch your bag, Mr. Weasley just passed the first set of my wards. He'll be here in a few moments. Are you sure you have everything?"

Harry rolled his eyes. An action Severus never thought he would be glad to see, but it was nice to see Harry act like a normal almost teenager.

"Yes Dad, I have everything."

"Ok, and you brushed your teeth?"

"Yes."

"And scrubbed behind your ears?" Severus flashed a sly smile at the boy. He wanted to see whether Harry knew he was now just teasing him.

Surprisingly the boy looked at him and smiled. "Now you're just teasing me, aren't you?"

"Oh, I don't know. I think you can figure that out on your own."

Harry's smile grew slightly as he shook his head and started to head out of his room. Before he left though, he turned around and looked at Severus with a slight bit of worry in his face.

"Will I see you at lunch?"

Severus's features softened as he came up behind his son and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I will be at the head table like always. Are you sure nothing is bothering you?"

Just then there was a knock on the front door and Harry took that moment to escape from any further questioning from his new dad. He knew the man was just concerned about him, but still he didn't want to talk about it. Not yet at least….or ever really.

Opening the door Harry was met with a shy looking Ron. "Ready to go mate?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, let me just grab my bag. I'll be right back."

The boy turned to grab his bag he had set in the chair, but was met with Severus holding his bag out for him to take.

Shyly Harry accepted the bag and started to walk back towards Ron. Severus stopped him though with a small pat on the shoulder. Turning Harry looked at him with confusion written all over his face.

"Don't I at least get a hug goodbye?" Severus raised his eyebrows and opened his arms a little inviting the boy.

Harry blushed, and his eyes flickered back to Ron who was watching them. Ron sensing his friend's embarrassment turned away to give him a bit of privacy. He didn't want to be the reason his friend did not accept a sign of affection from his new found father. Although it was still pretty weird Imagining Snape to be anything different from his dark bat like reputation.

When Harry saw Ron turn away, he smiled a little at his friend. He then turned back to his daddy and went into his arms willingly.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too son. Now go and learn something!"

Harry pulled back and smiled at Severus while he nodded his head. "Yes sir."

Harry then turned around and started to head to the door so that he could leave with his friend. Before he closed the door though, he turned and smiled at Severus. "I'll see you in class."

Severus just nodded his head as he watched his boy close the door. As soon as it was closed, he sighed and walked over to the floo. He had every intention of attending breakfast with the rest of the school, but first he had to ask Albus some questions.

Throwing the floo powder into the fireplace he called out Albus's office and was glad when the old man answered him.

"Severus, you're calling awfully early. Is anything the matter? How is Harry doing?"

Severus sighed at the old man's worry, but if he were truthful he could not blame the old man after everything that had happened these few days.

"Everything is fine Albus. Harry just went to breakfast with the Weasley boy. I just wanted to inquire how the papers with the adoption were going. Are there any hold ups?"

Albus gave the younger man a warm look. "Let me step through for a moment and I'll explain what is happening."

Severus nodded and stepped back so Albus could step through. As soon as he did so Albus came through and gestured for him to sit down on the couch. It was a gesture Severus was beginning to dread, it meant the news would not be to his liking.

Reluctantly Severus sat down on the couch and Albus sat down next to him. Albus took hold of Severus hand and looked at him gently.

"There has been a few issues. I was not going to tell you because I will take care of everything, but since you asked I will tell you if you want to know."

"I want to know everything Albus."

Albus sighed and conjured a tray of food for both of them. "We might as well have our breakfast down here then. Drink you potion and at least have some toast before I tell you what has been happening."

Severus did as he was told, not happy that he was being made to eat, but Albus said he was going to tell him all of what had been going on so he guessed he had to give something to get the information.

When Severus had the toast and some of the eggs he looked at Albus impatiently. Seeing the look that was directed his way Albus put down his own tray on the table and looked back at Severus.

"Alright, shall I start from the beginning? I think that is the right spot to start. As you know there were no problems with Guardianship papers, because they could be temporary or broken at any time. With the adoption papers, they have to go through children's welfare before they reach the Minister though. It is there where we are having problems. Even though people's minds are a lot more open than they were when you were a child, some still have the opinion that children should stay who they are related to if possible. It appears that Harry has a very distant cousin in Scotland. He has made no attempt to take Harry in or show any interest in doing so, but many people in children's welfare are trying to convince him into take Harry in. They have put the papers on hold while they are talking with him."

Severus blinked once, and then twice. "They don't like that I am the one who is adopting him. A former Death Eater. So they are doing everything they can to stop it or at least prolong the process

Albus sadly nodded. "I am doing everything I can to stop this and so is Madam Bones, but she has limited power right now because she is so new."

Severus looked down in thought and then raised it to look Albus right in the eyes. "Do I have to worry about losing Harry?"

Albus closed his eyes for a moment before looked into the dark orbs once again. "I don't know Severus. I don't think this cousin is interested, but I have been wrong before. If he does put up a fight though we will fight right back and we will win."

"You don't know that Albus. What if he wins and I lose Harry? I can't lose him...I just can't..."

"...and you won't. I won't let them take Harry. Don't worry."

Severus nodded. "Please don't say anything to Harry. I don't want him to be frightened. ...and I'll try not to worry, but I don't know whether I'll be able to help it. How long can they put the papers on hold."

Albus sighed, he had hoped that Severus would not ask that question. "They can do so indefinitely."

"Is there anything I can do? Should I appeal to them or show that I care for Harry in anyway?"

Albus shook his head. "There Is nothing you can do directly, but in a few days they should send a social worker here to see how Harry reacts to you and if he is thriving in this living environment."

"It won't be like last time, will it?"

Albus shook his head. "No it will not. That social worker was under the influence of Fudge and was not following any of the rules that are normally in place."

"I...I should go and get ready for my first class then."

Albus placed a hand on Severus's arm before he could get up so that he would look at him. "Are you ok Severus?"

Severus nodded. "Dazed, but I think I'm alright."

Albus nodded and removed his hand from Severus's arm. "If you are not, I can call Don."

"No, please don't bother him. I believe Pam will kill him if she does not spend some time with him this week."

Albus rose an eyebrow. "I take it she expressed her displeasure of not seeing Don enough to you as well?"

Severus nodded. "Please don't say anything though. She can be scary when she wants to be."

With mirth in his eyes, Albus smiled. "Of course not, my boy, I would not put you in that kind of danger."

"Thank you. I need to go now. My class comes in ten minutes."

"Ok then, call me if you need anything."

Severus nodded and stood up from the couch closely followed by Albus. Walking to the floo Albus disappeared in a green flash and Severus let out a small sigh. Nothing it seemed could be easy. Oh well, that's life.

After a few more moments, Severus started to head to his classroom to get ready for the day. He had some cauldrons that needed to be checked over and some ingredients that he had to fetch before any students came.

* * *

><p>Upstairs in the great hall Harry was sitting among his friends eating breakfast. It seemed like a normal breakfast to most, although the one this his friends could not help, but notice was Harry's frequent glances to the Head table.<p>

After about the twentieth glance up Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to gain his attention.

"Hey, what's up mate?"

"It's just that da...Snape and Dumbledore are not eating breakfast."

Ron glanced up at the table. Watching his friend he had not really looked to where his gaze was going.

"Maybe they had something to take care of? Did Snape say anything to you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, and I've never noticed Dumbledore gone before."

Just then Hermione piped up to try to make her friend feel better. "Ron is right Harry. They probably had something to do. Don't worry, you said Professor Snape would see you at lunch, right? If we don't see him then we'll ask a teacher, ok?"

Harry reluctantly nodded and looked down to his food. For some strange reason, he just didn't have a good appetite this morning. Maybe it was because of everything that had happened these past few days, or maybe it was just he was worried about his new found daddy.

Just as that thought flew through Harry's head he heard a small pop in front of him and saw three small bottles. Two he recognized as the ones he had taken before, the nutrient and vitamin one. The third one though he had seen before, but had only taken once before. It was the appetite stimulant he had seen his daddy take before he ate.

One last time his gaze turned to the head table. This time though his gaze was drawn to a smiling Minerva Mcgonagall. She gave him a small nod and a very small gesture with her hand to go ahead. So looking back down he grabbed up the potions and gulped down all three.

While he was taking his potions Ron looked at his as if he had grown a second head. "What are those for and how did you get them here?"

Hermione elbowed Ron in the arm to quiet him. "Don't be rude Ron! That is Harry's business, and he can tell us whether he wants to."

Ron looked down sheepishly. "Sorry Harry."

"That's ok Ron. I have to take these potions every morning. One is for nutrition and one if for getting extra vitamins. The third one I think Professor Mcgonagall added when she saw I was not eating a lot, it's an appetite stimulant."

"Why do you have to take those?"

Again, Ron received another elbow from Hermione. "Ron!"

Rubbing his arm Ron looked at Harry. "Sorry."

"It's ok, and Hermione please stop elbowing Ron. You don't have to protect me from everything. As you know the Dursley's didn't like me very much and well...you know the other things to...well they didn't really give me much to eat either..."

Harry shrugged his shoulders and paused for a moment. "I guess it caught up, and I need extra stuff to compensate for what I didn't get."

Ron placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sorry mate..."

Harry shook his friend's hand away. "Please don't guys. What has happened, happened and there is nothing we can do about it now, ok? I just want to move on."

Intently Hermione searched Harry's face finding sincerity on ever inch. "Ok Harry, but before we move on I just want you to let you know we have open ears if you ever do want to talk. We are your friends, and you can tell up anything and are always here for you."

Harry nodded. "Thank you."

Ron nodded as well. "Good! Now that is sorted away can we finish eating?"

Picking up his fork Harry nodded.

The rest of the meal passed rather silently. The two friends not really knowing what to say, and Harry was just to busy stuffing his mouth to say anything. When they were all finished, they made their way to their first class with their homework and books in hand.

Reaching the classroom the three friends sat next to each other near the front of the classroom. All the teachers had decided that it would benefit Harry to sit closer to the front, and Harry had agreed. He could see the board better, and he saw that if he argued he would have never won.

Just as they sat down Minerva entered the classroom, her eyes immediately drawn to the trio of friends. Raising an eyebrow the woman sat behind her desk.

"May I inquire why you three are so early?"

Hermione nodded. "We wanted to get good seats Professor."

Minerva nodded. "Do you want to hand in your homework so you can beat the rush?"

All three looked at each other and then dug through their bags to grab the work they had done. Harry was the one to grab the other's papers and bring it up to the desk though.

Placing the papers on the desk Minerva gave him a small smile and before he could leave she placed a gentle hand on his.

"If you need, anything Mr. Potter know that I am always here."

Harry nodded, and the woman let go of his hand. Blushing a bit he turned and waked back to his friends sitting in between them as he was before.

Ron leaned in, and half whispered half yelled in Harry's ear. "What did she say mate?"

Hermione his Ron shoulder again for his tactlessness for it was obvious that their Professor had heard him by the way she was looking at them.

"Ron!"

Ron just looked at her confused. "What did I do this time?"

"Have some sense Ron. Honestly, you act like a small child sometimes." Hermione discreetly shrugged her shoulder in the direction of the Professor who was desperately trying to hide her chuckles and was succeeding as none of the children noticed her desperate struggles.

Harry just sat back and watched his friends glad that at least something was normal. When Hermione looked as if she was going to hit Ron on the shoulder again though he gently grabbed her arm before she could land a good elbow.

"Ok Mione we get it Ron is clueless. I don't think your going to knock any sense into him that way."

Hermione seemed to agree as she dropped her arm in defeat. "Your right Harry. I'll just have to make him study more. Do you think the library has any books on common sense?"

Harry snickered into his hand while Ron looked at them both with his mouth hanging open. When Ron finally got a grip and closed his mouth it was to shout an indignant 'Hey!'.

At this point Minerva had to get up from behind her desk and turn to the blackboard to cover her smile. She could remember two very similar children who graced her class many years ago. At first, they had hated each other, but then they had become unrepeatable in their later years. It was somewhat refreshing to see these two joke like those two had, she knew they would make a wonderful couple in the future. Although that was a long way off.

Just as Minerva was pondering the past the bell rang and the rest of her class came filtering in. Sighing she turned and held out her hand for the papers she knew they would be handing in. As she did so her glance feel back over the trio of friends and was glad to see them playfully laughing together. She was also glad to see the Longbottom boy come and sit next to Ron's other side.

The next moment though she schooled her face into a stern look and began the lesson. Making sure everyone quieted down and start to pay attention.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day went well for Harry with only a few troubles with his work. The homework he handed in proved to be perfect and the tricks Pam had taught him seemed to be helping him, especially the gips for the quills. His hands weren't hurting as much when he wrote and for that alone he was eternally grateful. He could no help, but think back to how much his hands had hurt before when he had tried to write.<p>

After school, he made his way down to the dungeons with his friends accompanying him. Severus had pulled Hermione aside today after class and asked her discreetly to make sure Harry did not walk alone. No one wanted another episode of what happened with his scar the other day, and he knew the girl would not ask as many questions as Ron would. He also knew that his comment would make the girl watch Harry with a closer eye to make sure he was alright.

"We'll see you later Harry. Come up to the Tower if you need me to help you with you're homework. If not we'll see you tomorrow, right? You're having dinner down here?"

Harry nodded and accepted the young witches hug. He was still getting used to physical touch, but with Hermione it had not really been a problem for him. It kind of confused him, maybe it was because she was still just a kid like him?

"Yeah, I'm going to stay down here. It's kinda nice down here. I'll show you my room sometime, but Pamela is going to be here in a bit."

Harry knew he had an hour, plenty of time to show his friends his new room, but for some strange reason he was feeling the need to escape right now. Really he had that feeling all day, maybe that dream he kept having was really starting to affecting him more than he had thought it would.

Ron came and patted Harry on the shoulder. "That's ok mate, we understand. We'll see you tomorrow; ok?"

Ron did understand too. He had felt Harry's odd mood all day and had sensed something was on his mind. He really hopped that his friend would talk with someone tonight to get whatever it was that was bothering him off his chest.

With that Harry turned and said the password to the door. Before going inside though, he turned and gave his friends a small smile and wave. "Good night guys."

Both his friends coursed his words and then turned to leave.

As Harry closed the door behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief and let the smile slowly slip from his lips. He was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day even though he had that rest after his lunch. It was just so tiring acting as if everything was fine all day in front of everyone. He had thought that after having all his wounds healed it would be better and less tiring, but he was finding out the hard way that was not true.

After another slow breath in Harry began to drag his bag to his room. He should start on some of his homework he didn't think he needed help with, and maybe he could try to do the other stuff so Pam would not have to stay as long as she had the day before. Maybe then he could get some extra sleep tonight.

Unfortunately, his planes seemed to go down the drain as he was intercepted on his way to the door of his room by Severus.

"Hi there Harry. Why don't you put your bag away and we can have some tea hmmm?"

Harry gave a small frown. On one hand, he would really love to have tea with his new found father, but then he really wanted to get started with his homework. Nervously Harry looked down at his feet and bit his lip.

Severus sighed watching Harry shuffle his foot, but then came closer to rest a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and continued to look down causing the man to take a deep breath in.

"Why don't we go put down your things and then you can tell me about your day? How does that sound?"

Harry reluctantly nodded and let Severus guide him into his room. While the man had a seat on the side of Harry's bed Harry went and put his books and assignments on his desk. After he was finished, he hesitantly turned and looked at Severus. Gently the man patted the spot on the bed next to him inviting the boy to come have a seat. Not seeing how he could refuse Harry walked over and sat next to him on the bed.

"Now Harry, did something happen today that made you uncomfortable or was it something I said back there?"

Again, the boy shrugged his shoulders, making Severus close his eyes for a moment.

"Harry, I understand why you are shrugging your shoulders, but I can't help you if you don't talk with me."

"It's nothing."

"Harry, if you are avoiding my eyes and fidgeting then it is not nothing it is something. Please tell me what's wrong."

Harry let out a small breath and started to fidget with the ends of his jumper. "It's stupid. I...I wanted to start my homework, but...but I wanted to have tea with you...and...and I was afraid if I refused..."

Severus let out a small breath. "That I would not invite you again?"

Harry gave a tiny miserable nod. Inwardly he was scolding himself for how weak he was. How could he really be twelve years old and still fear something so small...and yet he just could not help it. His heart and emotions always seemed to work differently than his brain, and it frustrated him every single time. Really it would not be a big deal if his daddy never invited him to tea again, it's not as if he really liked tea in the first place, but than he knew in his heart that it was more of the gesture.

"You know Harry, unless I am in a meeting with someone you are always welcome to have tea with me. I normally have some to relax after a long day at school, and I thought you would like to relax as well. You do not have to come out and join me, but you will always be welcome to. You can even bring some of your work with you if you want, and I can help you until Pam comes."

Harry looked up at Severus with wide eyes. "Really?"

Severus wrapped his arm around the boy and gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze. "Yes Really. Now do you want to join me or do you prefer to stay here?"

"Harry looked down again and then looked back up at Severus. " Can I have pumpkin juice instead?"

"That can be arranged along with a plate of fruit for you to snack on."

"That would be brilliant dad!"

Severus smiled. "I thought so. Now gather what you want to work on before Pam gets here and I will go arrange our little snack, ok?"

Harry nodded and let Severus get up from the bed and leave the room. Soon after Harry was up as well and was grabbing the few books and assignments he could work on with his daddy. The one assignment he avoided particularly though was potions. He figured it wouldn't be fair if his daddy helped him with that since he was the teacher, and not everybody had the benefit of getting his help.

When he had grabbed everything Harry headed out the door and into the small kitchen just in time to see the snack appear on the table.

Severus smiled at him and beckoned him to the table and to sit down. As soon as he sat down he looked over at the man who had sat himself down across from him. He saw that he had pulled out a book of his own and was studding it intently, but as soon as he had detected his gaze he looked up at Harry.

"What is it Harry?"

Harry blushed and looked down at his books and busied himself with finding the right page. "Nothing sir."

Severus looked intently at Harry. He knew something else was bothering his boy, but he didn't want to push the subject in case he pushed Harry away. He wanted the boy to feel comfortable talking to him and not be an inquisitor all the time.

"If you need any help or anything else let me know."

Harry gave a small nod still looking down at his books and Severus couldn't help but let out a sigh. He really hoped Don would be able to get to whatever was troubling the boy tonight.

Again, he looked down at his book and tried to consecrate on reading, but every few seconds his gaze wandered up to look at his child. Fortunately, Harry was too engrossed in his work to notice his constant looks.

An hour passed like that until the two heard the floo go off behind them, and Pam stepped into the kitchen.

Saying her greetings Pam smiled and sat down next to Harry. "How are you doing tonight Harry?"

"Fine."

Pamela's smile faltered a bit, and she stole a glance at Severus. The man only shrugged his shoulders and mouthed 'Don' when Harry was not looking. Silently she gave a small nod agreeing that Don was the best person to solve what was bothering the boy. As much as she loathed to admit it that man had a special gift for wheedling your troubles from your lips, even if they were about him! That man was great at what he does, but he really really frustrated her sometimes.

"That's good to hear Harry. Do you want to finish working out here or do you want to work in your room?"

"Can we go to my room? The rest of my books are there. I only brought these out to work on them before you got here."

"Yes we can Harry. Why don't you head on in and I'll be there in a moment, ok?"

Harry nodded and packed up his books. As soon, as he left the room Pam looked back a Severus.

"Do you know what is troubling him?

"Severus shook his head. "He was fine last night, and this morning something was up. He didn't have a nightmare that I know of. Maybe something else happened during school? No one told me of any trouble though."

Pamela nodded. "I'll see whether I can get him to tell me anything while we work on his homework, but more than likely Don will have to work his magic."

As soon as Pamela saw, Severus nod she made her way to the boy's bedroom. Once there she sat next to Harry and for the next hour she helped him complete all of the work he had been assigned that night.

When they were finished with all his work, he looked up at Pam. "Don is coming later on, right?"

"Yes dear, I believe he was planning on coming right before dinner. Is there something wrong?"

Harry vigorously shook his head, but the fidgeting in his hands gave him away.

Sighing Pam tried one more attempt to get Harry to open up with her. All throughout their study session she had gently and discretely put it out there that he could speak with her if he wanted, but now it was time to lay it on a little thicker.

"Harry, I can tell something is bothering you. You can wait and speak with Don about it if you want, but know that you are welcome to talk with me about it as well. I have two ears, and they love listening."

Harry's shoulder slumped down in defeat and let out part of what was bothering him, he didn't really want to talk about that dream and didn't really know whether he was going to be able to talk to Don about it either. "I'm just so tired, I don't know what is wrong with me."

Pamela nodded. She could tell that this was part of what was bothering him, but it was obvious by the way Harry was acting that this was not everything. "There is nothing wrong with you Harry. It is very normal to be tired after everything you have been through. That is why you have a nap in the middle of the day."

Harry looked up at the woman with determination in his eyes. "No! Like even after that rest, I'm still exhausted and I'm having trouble staying awake in class! There is something wrong, I shouldn't be like this!"

Pamela placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Calm down Harry and let's talk about this with a different perspective. Where did you spend most of the day yesterday?"

Harry looked down. "In the Hospital wing."

"And where were you before that?"

"In the Hospital." Harry voice was getting quieter and quieter as he spoke.

There was a slight scolding tone to Pam's voice. "And before that you were in the Chamber of Secrets draining your magical core."

Harry gave a tiny nod.

"You used up a lot of magic in that Chamber and it's going to take some time to recover from that. I know you feel weak and tired, but that is _normal _after using so much magic. You also underwent surgery while you were still weak not only exhausting your core further, but tiring your body out as well."

Harry's next words almost came out as a whisper. "...but I slept so much..."

"Yes, you may have slept, but it still takes time to recover. You need to take it slowly and realize that your limits will come sooner than they have in the past."

Continuing to look down Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Will I ever be normal?"

Pamela reached over and hugged Harry's shoulders. "You are normal Harry. You are a very normal young man, and I never want you to think differently."

Harry looked up at Pam; hopefully, but the Healer could plainly see the mistrust written in his eyes as well. "Are...are you sure?"

"Very, Harry, but I can see you don't really believe me. I'm sure that most of your life you've been told differently, but they were wrong Harry. They were very, very wrong and I hope that you will be able to see that."

Harry looked down at his lap and let out a small breath. Rubbling his shoulders a bit more Pamela looked down at the dejected boy. It seemed that her best efforts had done little to reassure the boy. She hoped Don saying the same thing later on tonight would do some good.

With one, last sigh Pam ceased rubbing Harry's back. "Why don't we go see what Severus is up to?"

Harry looked up and nodded his head. As he looked up Pam could see the suppressed tears, but also the need to keep a strong face in front of her. Deciding to indulge him this once she ignored the tears and got off the bed.

"Come on then Harry."

Harry got up and followed his Healer out the door all the way taking deep breaths so he could calm the tears that wanted to come. He wanted so much to believe Pam when she had told him that he was normal and everything he had been told when he was younger was wrong, but he just couldn't and that pain in his chest started to hurt again. He knew it was from holding back his tears, but he just didn't want to cry right now. He had been doing way too much of that lately, and he didn't want to make a habit of it. He was such a baby.

As they walked out into the living room, they both saw Severus sitting on the couch grading papers and muttering about his dunderheads. Harry smiled at scene before him, and the thoughts of crying vanished from his mind.

Pamela on the other hand didn't see as much humor in Severus calling his students 'stupid dunderheads' and put her hands on her hips while clearing her throat.

Hearing Pamela clear her throat Severus looked up and saw the witch with her arms crossed. Inwardly he flinched, he recognized that look on her face. He was about to receive a lecture.

With no further hesitation Pamela started telling Severus off much to his dismay. All throughout the long winded lecture on how he should never call any of his students stupid or dunderheads Severus gaze kept lingering over at Harry. It was obvious the boy was getting some amusement at seeing his guardian getting his head chewed off, at least he was enjoying himself and it seemed that it had jerked him out of that mood he had earlier.

When the Healer was sure that Severus he was fully chastised she ushered Harry to sit down next to Severus on the couch.

"Now you two, I have to be going. I have an appointment I have to get to. Before I go though, I wanted to tell you Severus that you have a very bright boy here and you should be proud of him. He is also very tired and should probably go to bed a bit early, after some desert; of course."

Harry blushed and was looking down at his lap the whole time Pam was talking about him. It was actually to the adults benefit though so that Pam could share some significant looks with Severus to make him understand her hidden messages. When she had stopped speaking Harry was still looking down at his hands, but he was now wrestling with the ends of his t shirt.

Gently Severus reached over and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder ignoring the flinch that came with the touch. Obviously, they had hit a sore spot with all their parsing.

"Harry, child, what is wrong?"

For another moment Harry continued playing with the ends of his shirt, but then very slowly he opened his mouth. "A...are you mad?"

"What for Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders.

Severus sighed and reached over to place a gentle hand under Harry's chin so that they could meet eyes. When they were looking at each other Severus tried once more.

"Why do you think I'm mad Harry?"

Again Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Every...every time a teacher wanted to talk to Uncle Vernon he always got mad at me."

Severus's eyebrows rose a bit as he shook his head. "No Harry I am not mad at all. Did you hear what Pam was saying to me?"

Harry slowly shook his head and Severus let out a small sigh.

"Harry, she was telling me how well you are doing and even if you were not doing well I would not be angry because I know you are trying your hardest. If you were not trying that would be a different story, but I would still not be angry, I would be disappointed."

Harry gave a small nod and Severus could feel Harry relax beneath his hand so he let go of his chin.

"Better now?"

Harry gave a small nod. "I'm sorry for being so silly. I...I just can't help it..."

Until now Pam had been silent, but now with a smile on her face she rested a gentle hand on the boy's other shoulder. "You're not being silly Harry, you're just expressing yourself and that is a good thing. So please don't apologize to us for doing something right."

Again, Harry blushed a bit as he nodded. Seeing the small nod Pam lifted her hand and said her farewells and then left through the floo. She knew Severus could handle any further troubles Harry was having by himself and would probably actually prefer it.

As soon as Pam left, Severus again turned to look at Harry, but this time with an eyebrow raised. "We still have some time before Don comes to check out your arm, would you like to play a game of chess?"

Harry grinned widely as he nodded. "Yes sir!"

"Good."

With that Severus banished his work back to his desk gratefully, he hated grading papers and avoided it when he could. He then levitated the chess set from the shelf it was resting on and brought it down to the table in front of them.

Halfway through the game the floo went off behind them and much to their surprise Albus stepped out of the fireplace.

Putting down the chess piece Severus was holding he turned and looked at the Headmaster wearily. Their earlier conversation was still in his head, and he hoped beyond all hope that the man was not bringing bad news.

Albus saw the man's tentative glance and gave a small reassuring smile even though he really didn't have any news that would reassure the man, quite the opposite actually.

"Hi there Severus, Harry."

Harry looked between the two and saw the look on Severus's face. "Wh...whats wrong?"

Severus scolded himself for not schooling his features better and letting his worry show through. Immediately, he scooted a little closer to Harry on the couch.

"Nothing is wrong Harry. Why don't you go to your room for a little while I talk with the Headmaster?"

Harry looked between the two again and shook his head. "No, something is wrong and I want to know what it is! Is there something about the Guardianship; does someone want to take me away?"

Severus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder to calm him. Not wanting to lie to Harry, but then also not wanting to tell Harry the truth about his distant cousin Severus tried his best to try to calm the boy down.

"Harry, no one is going to take you away from here. Yes, there is a small glitch in the adoption, but it is nothing for you to concern yourself about. Ok?"

Unfortunately Harry as Pam had warned Severus was starting to push those boundaries. Any other time he would have agreed and let Severus handle everything, but he wanted to know if this man was going to push him away if he did not follow instructions to the point or if he made a fuss over something like this. He was also beginning to let his emotions take control of him and once that happened Harry knew it was going to take awhile to reel them back in, but at this moment he could not help it.

"No, It's not ok! I want to know what is going on? What is the glitch?"

Severus tried once again, but he knew it was in vein. He could see the tell tale signs on a tantrum, and he had seen one coming all day. Something was going to set this off sooner or later, but secretly he had hoped that Harry would have waited till Don had gotten here, then at least he would have reinforcements.

"Harry, I need you to calm your breathing."

But, Harry was too far gone to hear Severus's plea. He stood up and flipped the chess board over making a huge crash and causing a few pieces to break. His face was a rash red, and the boy quickly dashed into his room slamming the door behind him.

Severus let out a small sigh and turned to Albus as he got up. "Perfect timing as always Albus. If you will excuse me."

Albus just gave a small sad smile. "I am sorry my boy; I didn't mean this to happen. Can I do anything?"

"I know you didn't. Just sit here and prepare to explain everything to Harry. He is partially right, he may still be a child, but this concerns him and his living arrangements."

Albus nodded and Severus walked to the door Harry retreated into. Quietly he knocked hoping Harry would open the door, but he received no response. Trying the door handle and finding it locked Severus had to pull out his wand to cast an unlocking charm so he could enter.

When he opened the door, he saw Harry standing in the corner facing him with his one good hand up as if he were expecting to be struck. Severus also had to take note of the panicked look in his child's eyes and the quick breathing he had tried to calm not minutes before.

Putting away his wand he slowly he approached the boy with his hands in sight the whole time. When Severus became close enough he dropped down to his knees and rose both hands up to encircle Harry in a hug. He ignored the flinch that came, he just had to let Harry know that he was still loved and he would never hurt him. He hoped his actions spoke louder than words as was often true with situations like this.

It took a few minutes, but Harry finally relaxed into Severus's arms and let his tired legs give away. Since Severus was still holding him the man just gently lowered the boy down so that he was sitting on his bottom.

After Severus felt the boy's breathing calm a bit he pulled back a bit and looked at Harry's glassy eyes. "Feel better now?"

Harry just closed his eyes so Severus drew him back into his chest as he sunk down further onto the floor so that is was more comfortable for the boy who was now seated on his bottom. Sighing he began to gently rub the back of Harry's head as it was firmly pressed to his chest.

"That was a pretty big outburst you had there. I know there is something more behind it, but you can tell me about it when you are ready."

Harry's eyes opened a slight bit as small desperate words escaped his lips. "You're sending me away now."

Severus hold on Harry increased when he heard the child's plea. For that was what it was, a plea to be reassured he would not be sent away.

"No Harry, you can't get rid of me that easily. As long as I live you will be my son and nothing could ever change that."

Harry's gassy eyes looked up at Severus who was looking down at him with warmth in his eyes. With his heart making a small leap Harry's rested his head back onto Severus and let a small sigh escape his lips.

There was one thing he couldn't understand though. "How...how could you want me? I'm nothing, but mess of trouble."

Severus repositioned both of them so that he back was leaning against the wall. He had a feeling it was for the best that he settle in for a longer conversation.

"You're asking the wrong question. I think you mean to ask. 'How could I not want such a sweet, kindhearted child?' For that is what you are and I will tell you that as often as it takes for you to believe it."

Just as Severus was finishing his calming words there was a small knock on the door and Don entered gracefully. Spotting the two on the floor a sad smile escaped his lips as he came and not so gracefully sat on the floor next to them.

"Couldn't you two have picked a more comfortable spot? Like the bed?"

Severus snorted. "Don't blame me."

Harry blushed and turned his face into Severus's robes again making the man let out a small breath.

Gently Don placed a calming hand on Harry's back. "Harry we were just teasing. Can you look at me a moment?"

Don hated doing this, but he was beginning to see from what Pam had told him that he really had little choice in this matter. They had all anticipated an outburst, which was normal, but not him reverting to his earlier fears of being thrown away or hiding something that was hurting him. So when Harry looked at him Don placed a gentle hand on Harry's cheek and locked eyes with him. Tenderly Don pried open Harry's mind and looked for what was really troubling Harry.

Although Don was not as magically capable to enter the mind and stay there for long he could flip past recent memories and if her was honest he never really wanted to learn more. He knew the dangers of looking into someone's mind too much or staying too long and just didn't have the heart to learn how to do that after he had a few patients who had that done to them. He also thought it was almost a cheat for the patient and a shortcut for him to get answers he wanted right away. For this purpose though, he knew Harry was never going to reveal what was bothering him so he really had no choice and was somewhat glad that basic healer training made him lean this skill.

Just a minute passed, and Don retreated Harry's mind with the reason Harry was so upset.

"How many times have you had that dream?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders embarrassed that the Healer now knew what had been bothering him. He also felt a tab bit violated that Don had looked into his mind to find the answer he wanted instead of asking him what was wrong. He knew he wold probably never admit to the dream without Don prodding, but still he had planned to try tonight.

"Ever since I was in the chamber."

Don nodded his mind deep in thought. "And you have been dreaming this every time you fall asleep? Even when you rest during the day?"

Harry looked down, but Severus gently moved so that it would be impossible for Harry to curl into himself. He didn't want Harry to retreat now when they were finally figuring out what had been bothering Harry.

Don rose his eyebrow at the blushing boy. "I will take that as a yes then?"

"I was going to tell you..."

The Healer shook his head. "You and I both know you would not have. Would you like to tell more details of this dream though?"

Don looked over at Severus who was beginning to wonder what this dream entailed. It was not a dream that had made Harry react as he first had when he had come here, but it had caused this sort of meltdown and moodiness.

Harry sighed and looked up at his source of comfort. For some reason he was not very keen of Severus knowing what he had been dreaming, he didn't really know why, it was more a feeling in his chest he could not describe.

Don saw the tentative look Harry gave Severus and called Harry's attention to himself. "Harry, would you like to talk with me alone? Would that make you feel more comfortable?

"Guiltily and slowly Harry nodded his head.

"Ok then, why don't you and I move up to the bed then. Severus?"

Severus gave a small nod. He was a bit hurt that Harry did not want to share his dream with him, but he also understood the need for privacy. He had not told Albus every detail about his past even though he did know big chunks and pieces he had reserved certain information only for Don's ears.

So with little hesitation Severus got up helping Harry off the floor as well. After helping Harry, to rest gently on the bed Severus then headed to the door. Before closing it behind him though he shot, one last glance back at his boy who was now clutching that stuffed cat as if his life depended on it. They were definitely going to have to go shopping for toys again, and soon.

"If you two need anything all you have to do is call for me."

Don nodded and gave the man a gentle look. "We will Severus. Go find out what Albus wanted now and I'll talk to you later."

Severus nodded and left the room closing the door behind him.


	20. Revelations

Hello! Thank you guys for all the reviews! Sorry for the cliff hanger, but I have to keep your interest somehow, don't I? ;)

bkerrmom1 - I agree. I never agreed with them keeping Harry in the dark all the time. I can understand wanting him to enjoy his childhood, but if a mad man wanted to kill me I would want to know!

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - That's ok I can feel your frustration. With any system sometimes it works and other times you just get someone who only does the bare minimum to get their paycheck. Sad, but very true.

Pam I think it going to make an appearance in the next chapter and might just have to have a little…chat with Severus about his handwriting. After all, how is Harry going to improve when his role model is just as bad? ;)

snapes wife to be - I know it was mean, but here is your answer! :)

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><p>Harry sat on the bed with his stuffed animal hugged tightly to his chest and his knees drawn up as Don came and gently sat next to him. When the bed slightly dipped Harry turned his head a bit and looked over at the Healer. He knew he should be comfortable telling his Healer anything, but he could not help feel nervous and frightened with the coming conversation.<p>

In return Don let a warm smile grace his face to try to calm the boy before him even further, but knew that a potion would help a lot more than a smile. With that in mind he reached down and fished out the calming potion he always carried with him and held it out for the boy to take.

"It's a calming potion Harry. It will help you keep calm."

Harry nodded and reached out to grab the potion. Carefully the boy tipped back the potion to his mouth and drank it all down. With a grimace at the taste Harry, then handed the empty vial back to the Healer.

"Very good Harry. Now, do you want to tell me your dream?"

Harry pulled his knees a little closer to his chest and held back a small shudder. With another deep breath Harry locked his eyes on a spot on the opposite wall and started to tell Don all about his dream. It hurt his chest to think about it, but he knew he had to talk about it. Specially after what had just happened with the chess board.

"It was really weird. I was in this dark building and I was ordering around this man who kind of looked a rat. He had twitchy hands and a mouse like nose that had these whiskers coming out the sides. First, he asked how lucky it was that those fools had chosen him for secret keeper instead of Black and then he was telling me about how it was actually him who killed those people on the street and not Black, he had just framed him. That he had come as soon as he had heard that I had come back and he was the most loyal of them all.

I told him that he had only come back because he was afraid and...and then I pointed my ward at him and yelled Crucio at him. I...I don't really know what that means, but it looked really painful. I held that curse for a while and watched as I was causing him pain. He withered on the ground and screamed so loud."

Don placed a gentle hand on the boy's arm to keep him calm. The way Harry was talking about this dream, detached, almost scared Don. If he hadn't known that Harry was so terrified of this dream then he would be worrying right now that they had a future psychopath on their hands. Maybe even another dark lord.

Harry looked away form the small point on the wall and slowly turned to Don with confusion written on his face.

"What I can't understand though is why I felt happy about causing him pain. I mean I didn't just feel happy; I felt almost giddy when I was hurting him. How could I feel happy about hurting someone?"

Don closed his eyes for a moment. He honestly was at a loss at what to say to comfort the young boy. Obviously, this was not just a dream by the way he was explaining how he was feeling. He was now stuck between a rock and a hard place though. He knew that he had to tell Dumbledore about this dream, but the Healer's oath forbade him from telling anything to anyone unless it concerned Harry's immediate health and safety.

Before Don could ponder on that any further though, Harry continued on with his dream with that slightly dead look on his face again and stared back at that spot on the wall.

"When I finally stopped that spell the rat man stood up and came over to kiss my feet and thanked me for correcting him. I looked down at him and saw that my body looked really small, almost like a deformed baby with it's bones sticking out all over. We then heard some crash on the stairway so I sent a snake to go check out what it was.

When the snake came back it told me there was a muggle on the stairs, it was the caretaker. I sent Wormtail to bring the intruder forward. He did and when he came back he had an old man by the neck, and he was pointing his wand at him. I...I...then pointed my wand at him and said the killing curse. I...I...killed a man..."

Harry's eyes were filling with tears again and it was hard for Don to ignore the desperate cry for comfort the boy was giving. So Don sat forward a little more and drew Harry's shuttering form to his body.

"There, there Harry. It was just a dream. You didn't kill anyone or cause anyone pain. That was not you."

"But...but it was so real! I felt powerful when I killed that old man and joy that I would soon do that to more people."

"Shhhh calm down Harry. You did not do any of those things, it was just a dream."

Don tried as he might to reassure the child, but at the moment he was more concerned with the boy's breathing. It was beginning to become those quick shallow breaths again despite the calming potion he had given him.

While still holding Harry Don placed a gentle hand on both Harry's chest and forehead and began to send calming magic into his body.

"Take deep breaths now Harry. As deep as you can."

Harry tried as he might, but his body was fighting the calming sensations the Healer was trying to send him. Despite, how much obedience had been beat into him by his relatives a part of Harry still felt as if he didn't deserve comfort and so it would not accept it.

"Please Harry, don't fight me. I just want to make you feel better."

Harry's body would not listen to his mind though, and kept fighting the Healer and all his attempts to calm him. Reluctantly Don pulled another potion from his robes and uncorked it.

"You leave me no choice Harry. You need to swallow this potion, now."

Harry heard the slightly forceful demand and opened his mouth so the Healer could pour the potion down his throat. His hands he knew were shaking too much for him to take hold of anything. As soon as the potion was down Harry gratefully accepted the grip of sleep that was taking hold. He really hoped that was a dreamless sleep potion and not just a sleep potion, he really didn't want to dream anymore.

When Harry was asleep, Don gently lowered him down onto the bed so that he was resting comfortably on his back. Even in the poor boy's sleep Don could tell just how distressed he still was by the way he curled onto his side and drew his knees tight to his chest suffocating the poor stuffed cat.

Sighing Don gently took of Harry's shoes and draped the blanket that was on the end of the bed over him. He then gently rolled Harry over so that he was now facing him so that he could access his arm with better ease. With tender fingers, the Healer took the sling off the boy's arm and gently rolled up the sleeve to reveal the bandaged arm.

This was the reason he had come after all, he might as well tend to it while he could. He knew that as soon as Severus and Albus heard of Harry's dream then he would have little chance to check over this wound.

Yes, he was going to tell the two of what Harry had told him. His Healer's oath had gone out the window the minute Harry had described the last part of his dream. Harry's life might not be in danger physically, but mentally...

Don shook those thoughts from his mind as he unwound the bandage from Harry's arm. Looking at it he sighed and glanced back at Harry's face.

"You really can't catch a break can you?"

Don pulled out the two creams he had brought just in case Harry's arm was irritated and placed them on the bedside table. Dipping his hand in the first jar he pulled up a big glob of the swelling reducer and gently applied it to the red, inflamed arm. When it was all rubbed in the Healer opened the second jar and applied with the same gentle fingers a generous amount of numbing cream so Harry no longer feel his sore arm.

With Harry's arm seen to Don wrapped it up in fresh bandages he cast a sticking charm to Harry's body instead of the sling so that the boy could sleep more comfortably. Then, very gently he pulled the blanket back up to rest underneath Harry's chin, but before moving away from the bed he noticed a red tinge around the scar on the boy's forehead.

Brushing away the hair that partially covered the scar Don could not help, but mutter a, 'That's interesting' to himself. Prodding the spot very gently Don noticed that it not only was red and inflamed, but it was starting to bleed again. Not as viciously as before, but it seemed the scar was splitting open again. Wonderful.

"Severus!"

The man in question opened the door and was looking around worriedly. When he spotted Harry lying on the bed he came over immediately and looked down worriedly at his child.

Very calmly Don looked at Severus. "I need some clean gauze, some tape, and the strongest healing cream you have."

Severus quirked an eyebrow as he gazed down at Harry. "What is going on? Is Harry ok?"

"Severus please go get me those items and then I will tell you everything; Albus should be present as well."

The Potion Master nodded slightly and exited the room to go fetch what Don had asked for. While the man was gone, Albus silently slipped into the room and had come over to see Harry and Don.

"Is it his scar again?"

Don looked over at Albus with raised eyebrows. "You knew this might happen."

Albus sadly nodded. "I have been examining that journal and have found...interesting aspects about it."

Don kept his hand on Harry's head keeping the hair away from his scar as he looked back at Albus with suspicious eyes. "And what did you fail to inform me? You know I need to know things like this so I can properly treat 'your boys' as you call them."

Albus looked down guiltily. "That was actually what I can down to tell you two and some things about the adoption."

The Healer nodded as he turned his focus back to his patent. "Can you go check on Severus? It should not be taking him this long."

With a quick nod Albus was out the door in an instant and back the next moment with the potions and bandages. Don rose a questioning eyebrow as he accepted the medical supplies and started to clean Harry's scar that was now bleeding without a care.

"Severus is sitting by the door with his head between his knees. I think this is all a bit much for him. I'll go see whether he is recovering or needs some help."

Don stilled his movements for a moment so he could close his eyes. "What did you tell him while I was in here with Harry?"

Albus flinched a bit at hearing Don voice so cold, emotionless, and….accusing. It was so unlike the Healer that it was downright scary.

"Nothing. I told him this morning there was a slight problem with the adoption after he asked, but after you came in here with Harry I only tried to offer him comfort. It was obvious he was too distraught just then to break any more bad news."

Don took a breath and opened his eyes. "I'm sorry for assuming Albus. It's just, well, you know..."

"I do and you have ever right assuming I did something foolish. I have before, and I am sure I will again."

Don nodded. "Could you please look after Severus for me while I patch Harry up here? He is going to need a few calming potions and grab one for yourself as well."

The Headmaster rose an eyebrow, but made no comment to him needing a potion. "Very well."

With that Albus left the room to go tend to his adoptive son while Don continued to heal the weeping scar in front of him. He had gently cleaned the wound and then applied the healing cream to try to close it some, but it seemed fruitless. Sighing he realized that he was going to have to close it the muggle way. Don was very glad Harry would asleep for this. He knew the boy would not find this pleasant if he were awake.

Reaching into his pocket Don pulled out his mini first aid kit he always carried around. One may never know when they are caught without the use of magic, and Don always believed in being prepared. Opening up the kit Don took out the thread and needle that was attached to it and set it on the table next to him.

Don then opened the numbing cream back up and pulled out a small glob. Gently he smeared it over the boy's scar and then grabbed the needle he had put down. With a sigh, the Healer placed one hand over the scar and held it together while the other skillfully stitched the scar together to stop the bleeding.

When he was finished, he put some more of the healing cream over the scar knowing that with the help of the stitches the cream would now do it's job and the thread would dissolve in a few hours. He then took hold of the bandages one more time and tenderly put it over the scar and taped it together.

With Harry's scar taken care of for now Don looked down at the boy on the bed and gave a sad smile. Summoning over another blanket he covered the small form and had to really marvel at how small Harry looked when he was sleeping. He truly looked like a child when he was relaxed.

Brushing back the messy mop once more Don took off the glasses he had neglected to pluck of earlier and placed them on the nightstand and then went in search of the two other occupants of Severus's rooms.

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><p>As soon as Don stepped out of Harry's room he spotted Albus hovering over and fretting over a distraught Severus. Walking over to the couch Don picked up the few calming potions Albus surely had neglected to grab by the looks of things.<p>

When he was closer to the two though he noticed a certain glassy look in Severus's eyes and knew the opposite was true. Severus seemed to have taken too many calming potions instead of none.

Gently Don came and placed a guiding hand on Albus's arm. "Albus come sit down and please take this."

Albus let himself be guided to the chair near the couch and took the potion downing it in one gulp.

With Albus, somewhat taken care of he went back over to Severus and sat down next to him placing a hand on his forehead.

"How many potions did you take Severus?"

"Four."

Don sighed and removed his hand from Severus's forehead. "I understand this is a stressful situation Severus, but overdosing is not the answer. Now, look at me so I can bring you back to the living world."

Severus turned and looked at the healer. "Sorry."

"It's ok Severus."

Don looked into Severus's eyes and placed a hand on each of his shoulder. Calmly Don started to send spurts of energizing magic to wake Severus from his potion induced daze. After a few minutes, Severus eyes started to uncloud as he became more aware of his surroundings.

"There we go Severus." Don removed his hands from Severus's shoulder and looked over at Albus to see how the old man was doing.

"Ok, are we all ready to discuss everything?"

Albus nodded from his seat in the chair and Severus muttered a quick 'yes'.

"Do you want to begin with what is going on with the adoption Albus?"

Albus sat forward in his chair and rested his hands on his knees while slowly nodding.

"This morning I told you about that distant cousin that social services have found. It seems that he and his wife have agreed to meet Harry and have asked that he come and spend a week with them."

The older wizard took a slow breath in and then looked directly at Severus.

"I know this might seem as they are trying everything to make yours and Harry's lives miserable, but you have to look at it the way they see things. They do not know how close you and Harry have become. To them they just see you as a single bachelor, a former death eater, and a Professor who barriers himself in his work. Then, they look at his cousin and his wife and they see two people who can provide a stable loving home for Harry. They are trying to do their best for Harry; they just cannot see the whole picture because they don't know it.

So, not tomorrow, but the next day I set up for one of the social workers to stop by and see how you interact with Harry. Then, next week Harry is going to go out and spend a week with his cousin. Even if Harry does not live with them it would be good for him to get to know that last bit of his family, and it might even help them see just how attached you two are."

Severus nodded his head slowly. Normally, the man would be the panicking, but the potions he had taken earlier were preventing him from thinking too deeply on anything distressing.

Don placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder. "How do you feel Severus?"

"I'm ok." Severus looked up at Albus. "Who makes the final decision where Harry stays permanently?"

"Harry does since he is almost a teenager they view him capable of choosing. The social worker will just make sure that whatever home he does decide to reside in is a safe environment for him. If he decides to stay with you, which I am sure he will, then a social worker will stop by every few weeks unannounced to make sure everything is ok."

"He has to stay with them a full week? Will I be able to communicate with him to make sure he is ok?"

Albus shook his head. "No, he does not need to, but it would be best if he stayed there as long as he can. As for keeping in contact, I have already solved that problem. Before I came down here, I dug out a set of two way journals you can use to talk with each other."

"Thank you Albus...for everything."

"Don't thank me yet Severus." The Headmaster looked at Don and gave him a questioning glance. "Should I continue on with the journal?"

Don nodded. "Maybe it will shed some light on Harry's dream."

Severus's head whipped around to look at Don questionably. "What was his dream about?"

Don gave the man a gentle smile. "You know, normally I would not tell a living soul about what someone confided in my, but this is a different matter. Let's let Albus tell us about the journal and then I'll tell you about Harry's dream."

Severus nodded and looked back at his mentor waiting for answers.

"I'll start from the beginning then. As you two know the journal that was both in Ginny Weasley's and Harry's possession was no ordinary journal. It was one that had a type of magic infused in it that is not widely known. It was a horcrux made by Tom Riddle himself."

Severus looked stunned. "How is that possible and how did it make here to Hogwarts?"

"I do not know my boy. I have been trying to trace down a specific memory that could be the key in all this, but it seems that person is being elusive. As for how it got here I have an idea how it got here, but I do not want to place blame somewhere it is not indeed true."

"You believe Malfoy Senor gave Ginny that journal."

"Yes, but I don't want to let him know our suspicions. Understood?" Albus gave a somewhat stern glance at Severus whom in turn nodded.

"Good. Now, let me continue. From information, I have gathered it appears that this is not the only horcrux Voldemort has made. In fact, it seems that he has made five more of them on purpose and one...well, on accident."

Albus gave a significant look towards the door of Harry's room.

Severus looked at Albus with raised eyebrows and an unbelieving look on his face. "You mean Harry is the seventh?"

Albus gave a grave nod, but before he could speak Don interrupted him. "That would explain his dream, and the feelings he said he had when he was viewing said dream."

Shakily Severus looked at Don. "What...what did he dream?"

Don sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again he began telling all about Harry's dream. It was a long, drawn out expiation, but Don knew that these two needed to know every detail including Harry's scar splitting open and why he thought that happened.

When he was finished explaining everything, Severus was looking at him with a slight horror in his eyes. "You think The Dark Lord has a connection to him through he scar?"

Don nodded. "It is quite obvious by the way he was explaining how it _felt _to kill someone."

Severus couldn't suppress a shudder that racked through his body. Just the thought of having the evil man in his mind was enough to make him flash back to when it had happened and that was not something he particularly liked to remember. In fact, he preferred to never be reminded of those days ever again.

Albus looked up sadly from his hands. "I fear that it more than just that my boy. I believe that his scar holds part of Voldemort's soul."

At this very moment Severus was glad for the calming potions running through his system, without them he didn't know what he would have done. Well, he did know he would have destroyed everything in this room, but that was besides the point.

"Can...can we get it out of him?"

Don patted Severus on the knee so that he would look at him. "I'm going to look into how to remove dark magic from someone, and we will figure out something. Meanwhile, if he has any strange dreams or acts abnormally you need to contact both myself and Albus."

Severus gave a silent nod and rested his head in his hands. That is until an idea struck him. "What about when he goes to see that cousin of his? What if something happens when he is there?"

"Don't worry Severus I am going to place a long distance monitoring charm on him so I will know whether he is in any distress. Although, he might have these dreams and not show anything outwardly that the charm will pick up so I am going to need you to keep track of his mental health with those journals."

Severus gave a small nod. "Will he be able to attend school tomorrow? I know he does not want to get any further behind."

"By morning, he will be fine. We need to tell him of everything that has taken place tonight. Though maybe a bit more watered down. Just what he needs to know and nothing more. I don't want to send him into a panic attack."

Both of the other adults nodded in agreement, but it was Albus who spoke. "Should we tell him anything about his scar? I don't want to frighten him unnecessarily."

"Yes, it would not be wise to keep things like that from him. It is his body, and he needs to know what is happening to it. Wouldn't you be suspicious if you went into surgery without knowing why?" The Healer gave Albus a slightly scolding look, for he knew that if it were up to Albus Harry would know no more than what was in front of his nose.

Chastised Albus looked down nodded. "I understand."

"Good, now what about Sirius Black? If Harry's dream was true, then he is innocent."

Again Albus nodded. "I will take care of that. I can see whether I can get him a trial and get him out if he is truly innocent."

Albus then looked at Severus. "I'll will also see whether I can get in contact with Remus Lupin. Maybe it would be good to have him around. It would show child services that Harry has more than just you for support. It also might be beneficial to have someone else who can tell Harry about his parents. You know how close he and Lily were."

Severus closed his eyes for a second and then opened them as he got up off the couch. Slowly he moved over to one of the charmed windows in his chamber and looked out to the setting sun over the black lake.

Sighing Don gave a significant look to Albus before getting up and moving to place a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder. He knew the man had never really gotten over that night with the Marauders in the Shrieking Shack. It had been a really close call for Severus.

"You know that Remus had no part in that prank. He was as much a victim as you were."

"I know. I just can't help, but feel...fear when he is around."

"Remember we have those breathing exercises and I will be there for you."

Severus nodded still looking over at the whomping willow. "I know and I'll be fine."

"Good. You will call me if you are not?"

"I will."

Don patted Severus on the shoulder and turned to look at Albus nodding.

"I should go and make some arrangements then."

Albus got up from the chair and before leaving the room he walked over to Severus. "I'm here for you too Severus. Don't forget that."

Severus gave a small nod still looking out the window. "Thank you Albus, for all your help."

"It's my pleasure my boy. Do you want me to come back later to help explain everything to Harry?"

"No it's ok, I think it would be best if it were just me." Severus turned to look at Don and gave him a small look.

The Healer gave the man an understanding nod. Severus wanted to be alone with his child.

"I will see you two later then." With a final pat on the shoulder and smile Albus went over to the floo and flooed back to his office. He had many things to do now that he knew everything. He really hoped that he could get in touch with Remus. Like he had said it would look good to Severus to have that extra support for Harry, but he also knew that the man would help Serius, if he were innocent, heal from his stay with the Dementors.

As soon as Albus left the room Don turned back to Severus and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. When Severus turned to him he could see that the potions were slowly wearing off; the glassy look in his eyes was slowly fading away.

"How are you feeling Severus."

"I think I'm going to be ok. Could you please see what can be done to get that _thing_ out of my son?"

"I will Severus, I can go do that now if you want?"

"Please?"

Ok then. If you need me just call."

With a small nod from Severus Don exited and flooed back to his office as well. He understood Severus's need to be alone at the moment. He had just learned some very disturbing facts, and his mind needed time to process it all.

When Severus heard the floo go off behind him again he let his shoulders slump and brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose to ease the headache he felt coming.

Standing the like the for a few more minutes Severus resolved that he would do anything in his power to keep Harry with him. Even if the meant acting chummy around the wolf that had almost killed him. Harry was worth it.

Bringing his hand down Severus walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a headache potion to ease what he knew was coming and then gulped it down in one slug. Feeling slightly better he then crossed over to Harry's room so that he could sit with his child until he woke. Before he entered though, he called a house elf and asked her to make sure dinner was ready when Harry woke. He would like it if the child ate something before they went into all the details.

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><p>A couple of hours later night was fast approaching, and Harry was slowly opening his eyes. Before even thinking about everything that happened, he spotted the blurry figure by his bed and smiled.<p>

"Daddy."

His Daddy came over and gently placed his glasses on his nose, and he gently smiled down at him.

"Hi there Harry, how are you feeling?"

Harry closed his eyes and let everything that had happened that day wash over him. When he opened his eyes he looked down at his blankets while sitting up. Immediately, his hand went up to feel his scar and he frowned when he felt the bandages there.

"Did I hurt myself?"

Severus shook his head while he sat on the edge of Harry's bed. "No child. Your scar split open again."

Harry looked up confused. "Why?"

"We're not really sure, but Albus has an idea. Don is off right now trying to find something that will stop that from happening."

Harry gave a small nod and continued to look down. Through his fringe, he looked up at Severus shyly. "Are you mad at me. I broke some of your chess pieces."

"No child, I am not mad at you. We will have to work on your temper though."

Harry blushed a bit while his head dropped a little. "I'm sorry."

"There is no need, do you want to see the chess board and pieces. Albus fixed them all for me."

Again, Harry blushed while he shook his head. He really could not believe he had acted like such a baby. First, he destroyed his daddy's things and then he had stormed in here and sobbed into his daddy's robes and then Don's as he put him to bed. What more could he do to embarrass himself?

Reading Harry's mind, because honestly everything was written all over his face, Severus gently rose Harry's chin with his hand.

"You have nothing to embarrassed about either. Don and I are more than happy to hold you when you are upset."

Harry nodded feeling a bit better. At least he wasn't being laughed at. He still felt like a big baby though. He was all of twelve years old; he should not be acting this way.

Severus let out a small sigh. "Come on let's get some dinner in you and then I will tell you everything that has gone on while you were sleeping."

Harry gave a small nod while he pulled the two blankets he assumed Don had placed on his down to the end of the bed. Feeling the warmth being ripped away he gave a slight shiver and stood up.

"Are you cold?"

"No, I'm ok."

Severus looked at the boy with a critical eye. "Why don't you put on a sweater just in case then. It is chilly tonight."

Harry gave a small nod, but frowned when he tried to move his arm. Questionably he looked up at Severus who gave him a small smile.

"I'm assuming Don placed a sticking charm on it. Do you want me to take it off and then put it back in the sling?"

"Yes please."

Nodding Severus pulled out his wand and canceled the sticking charm on the boy. He then watched as Harry went over and grabbed a jumper and pulled it over his head being very careful of his arm.

Severus remembering what Don had said earlier about Harry's arm hurting grabbed up the sling and walked over to the boy. Gently he fixed the sling around the boy so that his arm was resting comfortably, but instead of leading Harry out to the kitchen he kneeled down in front of the boy.

"Harry, Don said that your arm was swollen and it must have been painful. Why didn't you say anything?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't think it really mattered."

Closing his eyes for a moment Severus took a deep breath before reaching forward to embrace the boy. "It matters Harry. It matters a lot and I want you to tell me if you feel the slightest bit of pain. Understand?"

Severus pulled back and looked Harry straight in the eye. "I need you to promise me to tell someone if you are hurt, or you feel any pain. Can you do that?"

Harry shuffled his feet a bit and looked down. "I'll try."

Severus gave a sad smile knowing that was all the boy could give him. "That's all I ask for. Now, food I think it's calling your name. Or at least your stomach is calling to it. I heard that grumble!"

Harry blushed again and watched as Severus got off his knees and smiled when he saw the older man smiling at him.

Taking the hand that was offered to him Harry fallowed his daddy out of the room and into the kitchen for the meal his stomach had been begging for the last hour or so. He knew taking the offered hand was being childish, but he thought he would indulge his daddy. Or at least that's what he told himself.

When they reached the kitchen table it was filled with food that they both knew they would never be able to finish, but sat down anyway and after a few potions started to dig in.

Halfway through the meal though, Severus looked over at Harry and saw the boy just playing with his food. Sighing Severus placed down his fork and looked intently at the boy fiddling with his mashed potatoes.

"Are you alright there Harry?"

He knew Harry was probably just nervous about the upcoming conversation, but he had to make sure Harry was feeling alright, just in case.

The boy gave a small nod. "I'm sorry, I'm just not that hungry."

Severus summoned up two nutrition potions and handed one to the boy as it was obvious neither one was going to be able to eat any more. "Don't be sorry Harry. Just drink up that potion and then we'll talk. Ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and then downed all the contents of the potion Severus had handed him. The man stood up and downed his own potion knowing Don would scold him if he did other wise.

As Harry stood up Severus reached out and gently placed a guiding arm around his shoulders. Leaving the room a house elf popped behind them and to answer the unasked question Severus asked him to leave the food on the table for a while. Maybe later Severus could get Harry to eat some more fruit or something. While nutrition potions helped there really was no substitute for real food?

Sitting down next to Harry on the couch he faced the boy and tried as gently as he could to explain the situation.

"As you heard from Albus earlier, something has come up with the adoption. You see social services have found a distant cousin of yours. He and his wife wish to meet you."

Harry looked down at his lap. "You mean they wish to take me from you."

Gently Severus placed an arm around the boy's shoulders again in an attempt to comfort him.

"Not necessarily. For right now, they just want to spend some time with you so that you can get to know them. Next week, unless you really don't want to, they want you to come and stay with them for a few days."

Harry looked up at Severus with worry in his eyes. "I don't want to leave you. What if I leave and cannot come back? And what about school? I can't miss anymore, I'm already behind!"

Patting Harry gently on the shoulder Severus shook his head. "You will always be able to come back here if that is what you want. Albus has also setup a set of journals we will be able to use to communicate with each other. As for school I think Don mentioned something about Pam coming by to make sure you stay with the rest of your class."

"You mean I'll be able to talk with you even though you won't be there and I won't fall behind?"

"That's right Harry and you will also be able to call Don whenever you want as well. It won't be so bad, you'll see."

Harry gave a small nod and with a small sigh Severus continued.

"A social worker will also be visiting us the day after tomorrow to see how we are doing. I promise you they will be nothing like Madam Roloon. They will be here only to see whether you are happy and to talk with you about where you would like to stay."

Harry gave another small nod. "Will you be here?"

"I will be here if you want me to be here. They might ask to talk to you alone for a little while though."

"Ok, as long as you're here and I can come back."

"Good. There are some other things that you need to know about. As you know your father and I did not get along that well. A couple of his friends though might come by to see you if that is ok with you. One of them is your godfather and the other I know loved you very much when you were a baby."

Harry looked down with a hint of betrayal in his eyes. "If they _loved_ me so much why didn't they come for me sooner?"

Severus reached over and hugged the boy close to his chest while resting his chin on the boy's head. As much as he didn't want to defend the remaining Marauders he knew what the boy needed to hear.

"I'm sure if they had known they would have come Harry, as I would have. We have all made a grave mistake, and you have paid the price. There is nothing more I can say except I am sorry and we are all working to make your life better."

Harry buried his face deeper in Severus's robes and listened to that ever calming heart beat. Closing his eyes he mumbled something inaudible for the man to hear.

Pulling the child a bit back from his chest Severus looked at the tired, drawn face. "What was that child?"

Harry looked up at Severus and blushed a bit. "I love you daddy."

Severus pulled Harry back to his chest sighing. "I love you too child and I always will, no matter whom you decide to live with."

Keeping the child close to him Severus closed his eyes cursing there ever being a need to continue with this dreadful topic.

"You know that dream you told Don about?"

The man felt a slight nod against his chest and the slight tensing at the mention of the awful memory. Knowing that Harry would probably be better off feeling more secure he made no protest to move the boy so he could look at him.

"Well, the Headmaster thinks he knows why you were having that dream. It is a bit complicated, but the watered down version is that it has something to do with your scar. Somehow when the Dark Lord tried to end your life, he transferred part of himself into your scar and so what you saw was the dark lord himself. You did not actually kill anyone or cause any pain it was the dark lord."

Severus could feel the boy's breath start to speed up and he knew this was the time to sum up the conversation and start to calm him. Giving him any more facts about the horcrux would just upset him further, and it was unnecessary for him to know about that. They would take care of all the other horcruxs. This boy did not need any more burdens to way on his shoulders.

Gently the man began to rub soothing circles on Harry's back. "Calm down Harry. Right now, Don is at the hospital looking for a way to remove the dark magic from your scar. Until then I will help you clear your mind and protect it before you go to sleep to prevent you from having any more dreams like that."

Again, Harry nodded slightly against the man's chest as his breathing slowed back to normal. It was scary thinking you had another person in your mind, but knowing that Don was looking how to take it out, and his daddy was going to help keep those real-feeling dreams from coming.

After a few more moments of silence, Severus felt Harry pull back a little. Letting the boy do what he felt comfortable with Severus looked Harry in the eyes.

"Are you alright there Harry?"

Slowly Harry gave a small nod, but looked questionably up at Severus while his hand went up to his scar. "Is that why I have a bandage over my scar and It feels all itchy?"

"Don said that after you told him your dream your scar split open and it refused to close. He had to stitch it with muggle stitches to hold it closed and then heal it."

Harry absently started to rub at the bandages until Severus's hand came and gently stopped him.

"Try not to touch it Harry. It's still healing. That's why it's all itchy."

Harry nodded and let his daddy gently remove his hand.

"Why don't we go back to the kitchen. Do you think you're up for a little fruit and ice cream?

Harry smiled and nodded. He had discovered at Hogwarts that was his favorite desert.

Severus helped the boy off the couch and followed behind him as they went back to the kitchen.

Maliciously one of the house elves had heard his request for a change of food and on the table lie two bowls of fruit and vanilla ice cream.

Shaking his head Severus swore that one day he would figure out how the house elves knew exactly when to change the food. The spy part of him said that they must have ears in all rooms listening to everyone, but then the rational side of him denounced that idea. There were only so many elves, and it was impossible to be more than one place at ones. They must have a special charm that only house elves could perform that activated whenever there was a mention of food. That had to be it.

Snapping out of his mind Severus looked to the boy who was now sitting back across the table from him. He just had to smile at the way the boy was devouring his desert it was just, dare he say it, cute. Merlin, he was becoming soft.

With one last look at the boy, Severus began to eat his own desert.

After Harry was finished demolishing off his food, Severus pushed his almost empty bowl in front of himself and rose an eyebrow at Harry.

"Now, I know how to get you to eat. Offer you fruit."

Harry blushed and looked down at his lap. "Sorry sir. It's just that back at the Dusley's I was never able to have anything fresh and so I really like fresh fruit."

Severus gave a quick nod trying to keep his face the calm mask it was currently. Showing anger to Harry's statement would only frighten the boy, and nothing productive would come of that.

"Please stop apologizing Harry, there is no need for you to be sorry all the time. I was just teasing you, you silly child."

Harry blushed and looked down. "I'm so..."

Halfway into apologizing though, Harry placed a hand over his mouth to stop himself. It had become a reflex from living with his relatives to apologize even if he had done nothing wrong.

Severus looked at the wide eyed boy amused. "I think it's almost time for bed. Why don't you go wash up and get in your pajamas?"

Harry gave a small nod and got up to do as Severus had asked. First going to his room to gather his clothing and the into the bathroom to clean up and change.

As Harry was getting ready for bed Severus went over to the bookshelf in his room and dug for the book he had treasured in his youth, "The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales". The tales were old and a bit grim, but some of the best he could remember.

Carrying the warn book out of his room he walked over to Harry's room and set it on the bedside table. He could still hear the shower running so he pulled up a chair beside Harry's bed and sat down. He would wait for Harry here instead of trying to do something only to be interrupted by the boy when he was finished. At least that was what he told himself, he would never admit that he just wanted to spend as much time as he could with Harry while he could.

In truth, while he had sounded calm in front of Harry about him spending time with his relative inside he was reeling at the mere thought of losing his child, even if it was just for a short time. It really was amazing how Harry had somehow wormed his way into his heart.

* * *

><p>Just a few minutes later Severus heard the tell tale pitter patter of feet coming down the hall. Turning slightly he saw Harry slip into his room only to be startled at the sight of Severus. Apparently, he had not expected to see Severus sitting they're waiting for him.<p>

Smiling at the boy he gently patted the bed. "Hop on in Harry."

Harry nodded and slipped into his bed. Severus came over and gently tucked the boy in so that the covers were just below his armpits.

"I have a story book here that I thought you might like. Would you mind if I read some of it out loud?"

The boy's eyes grew wide. No one had ever read to him before. Sure Dudley had gotten story every night before he went to bed that is until he had declared himself to old for such a thing, but he had never had the chance. Once or twice he had tried to listen in from behind the closed door, but that last time he was caught, and he could vividly remember what had happened afterword.

Harry suppressed a shutter at his line of thinking and nodded his head. "I...I would like that."

Severus gave him a small smile. "Good. Now lie back and relax."

The man then grabbed up the story book and sat back in the chair he had occupied before tucking the small boy into bed. Opening up the book he began to read the first story, "The Frog King".

Just a half hour later Severus noticed the small boy's eyes drooping closed. Marking his place with a small white ribbon he had stolen from Minerva's office, it wasn't his fault that it made the perfect bookmark and she had left it out in plane sight, he closed the book, and set it back on the bedside table. He then quietly stood up from his chair and plucked the glasses from Harry's face placing them on top of the book.

"That's it Harry, nice and relaxed."

Gently he placed a hand on each side of Harry's head and softly entered his mind. Once there he put up the strongest shields he could as quick as he could. It would do no good to linger. When he was finished he left just as softly as he came, but he now knew his child was safe every way possible.

Coming back to his own body Severus removed his hands from the now sleeping child and pulled the covers up to beneath his chin, making sure his arms were covered so he would not gain a chill. He then bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the boy's forehead.

"Goodnight my child. Have pleasant dreams and I promise you everything will work out just fine."

With that Severus exited the room whispering a quick nox as he did.


	21. Just Some Questions

Thank you guys for all the reviews! For some reason this chapter was hard to write, I guess it just wanted to stay up in my brain. Oh well, here it is now! Enjoy! :)

shadewatcher - I'm going to try with a bit of flirting and see how that goes, but I think that's really as far as I'm going to go. Romance when I write it turns out to just be creepy, so it's really better if I don't write it! haha

Nightshade's sydneylover150 - You have good instincts, but don't worry too much! Oh and Pam telling Severus about his handwriting, well, I won't say anymore… ;)

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><p>The next day seemed to come and go in a haze according to Harry. Everything had rushed by in a blur, except that conversation with the twins that is. That conversation Harry would commit to memory for the rest of his life. He knew that people cared for him, but this instance had hit home for Harry. It had really made him see just how much people cared about him.<p>

Apparently, he had been quiet all day, well, quieter than normal. At lunchtime the twins had noticed, discreetly pulled him aside after lunch and walked him down to the dungeons so he could rest. The conversation that had followed had both frightened him and at the same time warmed his heart.

Casually Fred had asked him how he was doing, but when his answer was the simple 'fine' they pressed him further, and everything that had been on his mind come pouring out. He couldn't help it, everything was just too much for him to handle and he felt as he was going to burst at any moment. The adoption, staying with his cousins, his scar hurting, meeting two of his father's friends, and what if when he came back Severus would not want him anymore? What would he do then?

That last item had brought tears to the boy's eyes; not just from sadness, but from fear that he would have no where else to turn to if Severus rejected him. At the first sign of tears though, Harry had found himself encased in a three way hug and the twins were soothing away his hurt and fear with words that one would say to a little brother that you loved. He had only ever felt this safe when he was either with his daddy, or Don and it made the tears flow a little more freely.

As soon as Harry had calmed down the twins pulled back and George carefully explained that many people loved Harry and that Snape would never abandon him. They would both hex him before he ever did that, and likely the man would hex himself before he ever hurt Harry on purpose. They also made it very clear that Harry was always welcome at the Burrow no matter what.

When they reached Severus's and Harry's rooms Harry's chest was feeling a lot lighter and much better, but just to make sure their little brother was ok they waited until Severus came and took charge of Harry in person. Even though it was a very small breakdown, it was a breakdown never the less and they knew that it would be better to at least tell their Professor about it.

So when they had entered the living room with Severus sitting on the couch Fred took Harry to see his new room and George stayed behind with his teacher. Although George saw the raised eyebrows, he knew the man well enough to know it was not mocking, just asking what had brought them down here.

Slowly he told the man of what had transpired and was glad that all Severus did was nod in understanding. When he was finished Severus thanked the boy for both acting on their instincts and making sure Harry was ok on the walk down here. He then ushered the boy to Harry's room so that he could join his brother in the 'grand tour' of Harry's room.

While George entered the room to walk over to the glowing Harry Severus just leaned against the doorway and watched slightly amused at the sight before him. Harry was obviously enjoying himself.

Harry also remembered what happened after the twins had left, and he had spotted Severus on the door frame. He full well knew the twins had told Severus of everything that had transpired and was grateful that the only thing Severus did was step forward and embrace him in a hug. No words were needed, except for the few calming words Severus uttered into the top of his head. It felt so nice to just be held.

Just a few minutes into that embrace Harry let out an involuntary yawn and smiled slightly when Severus pulled him back from his chest and sent him to bed to get his rest. That is what he came down here for in the first place.

When he woke up the rest of the afternoon passed normally and the evening as well, except Harry could clearly hear the raised voices of both Pam and Severus arguing over handwriting of all things.

It had started with Harry asking Severus if he could help him with his handwriting after Pam left, he didn't want to take up too much of the Healer's time. She had a life after all. Pam had then asked Harry to go to his room for a moment and despite knowing better as soon as he had gotten there he listened in through the door. It really was too great a temptation and plus they had forgotten silencing spells so it was their own fault.

The first remark he heard was Pam's telling his daddy that he really needed to work on his own handwriting before he helped Harry with his. She had then offered to help the man with it, but as Harry had assumed would happen Severus had blown up. He had started yelling at her to mind her own business; his writing was perfectly fine and so on.

Retorts were thrown back and forth for a while, until Harry decided that his poor Healer had enough of his daddy's wrath. From previous confrontations, he knew when the man decided to argue with you there was no winning and really it was best to just give up.

So to interrupt them he walked into the room and over to his daddy. "Daddy, really it's ok. Pam gave me some worksheets to work on; I can do them on my own."

Severus seemed to deflate as Harry came over to him. Remembering the boy's words at the clinic stating that he did not like yelling he let the words he was about to utter slip from his mind. "Ok then Harry."

Although he did send a pointed glare over at the Healer who just smiled back at him. It seemed that she had won, for the moment at least. He would never live this down, for surely she was going to brag to Don about beating the most stubborn man in the world.

Pam had then left, and the two had dinner and then Severus read a story from that book to the boy as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Now back to this morning. Harry had woken up early; he couldn't sleep because of the nerves he felt prickling up the back of his neck. He knew it was silly, but even with all the reassurances yesterday he was still a bit scared that the social worker would take him away today. How could he not be scared after the last time?<p>

Casting a quick tempus Harry sighed when he saw it was close to four thirty in the morning. Knowing that he was no going to be able to sleep anymore he got out of bed and padded his way to the living room. For the last few days, he had been wanting to check out some of the books on the bookshelf in there and thought maybe now would be the perfect time.

Stepping through his door he quietly made it over to the self and picked up the book he had been eyeing earlier, "A beginners guide to protecting your mind". He figured he might as well study up on something that was important. He had heard is daddy discuss with his Headmaster that he might need to learn how so he might as well get a head start.

Sitting back down on the couch Harry pulled up a blanket and pulled it around his legs wrapping himself in a cocoon. It was getting quiet chilly at night, and he didn't want to catch cold. As soon as he was all wrapped up he pulled open the book and began to read.

About a half hour later the book that Harry had placed in his lap fell slack as the boy slowly fell back asleep. When all resistance was gone on the book, it dropped backwards and made a soft crashing noise against the floor. Not stirring Harry in the slightest it woke Severus with a start.

The man opened his eyes as soon as he heard the crash and jumped out of bed immediately to investigate. He didn't want to find that it had been Harry falling out of bed or something like that. So he walked out to the living room, but what he saw made him raise his eyebrows.

Quietly so he did not wake Harry he walked around the couch and looked down at the small cocoon. He just had to smile at the sight, even he could admit that Harry was just adorable when he was sleeping. The fallen book then caught his eye, and he bent down to pick it up. When he did he looked at the title and rose a questioning eyebrow at the boy's choice in books. It looked as if Harry wanted to learn how to protect his mind himself.

Another smile flickered across his face as he set the book down on the coffee table. Who would have known that Potter's boy would be this studious, but then again he was Lily's child too, and everyone knew just how bookish she was!

Setting down the book Severus saw the way Harry was sleeping with his head propped up on an arm. Surely, the boy was not going to appreciate that position in the morning. So very carefully he repositioned the boy and scooped him up into his arms. Gently resting the boy's head on his shoulder he cast a silent weight altering spell. While Harry might still be underweight, he had gained lot in his care and he was by far not easy to carry.

Then with quiet steps Severus moved to Harry room so that he could put the sleeping boy to bed. When he got there he very gently rested Harry down on the soft pillows and cast a warming charm on the blankets so that he could remove his cocoon without making Harry chilly. Once done he pulled up the covers and watched as Harry rolled onto his side and seemed to snuggle down into the warm sheets.

Smiling Severus brushed the stray hairs out of Harry's face and bent down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. Hearing a quiet content sigh come out of Harry's mouth Severus plucked the glasses off his face and set them on the bedside table. With that done he walked over to the door and gently closed it behind him. He knew he would need the few more hours of sleep to prepare for the day ahead of them.

* * *

><p>The next time Harry woke it was to someone gently shaking his shoulder. Looking up with blurry eyes he made out the fine outlines of his daddy and smiled.<p>

"Good morning daddy."

Severus reached out and grabbed the gasses he had placed on the side table earlier and handed them to the boy.

"Good morning Harry. How did you sleep?"

Harry blush and looked down. "How did I get back to bed sir?"

Severus smiled. "You fell asleep on the couch this morning, and I heard your book drop. I thought you would be more comfortable sleeping in here."

"Thank you daddy."

"It's no problem Harry."

The man watched as Harry sat up a bit more in bed and gave a small smile. When Harry seemed to stop moving Severus sat down on the edge of the bed.

"So as you know a social worker is going to be stopping by today."

Severus paused and saw Harry nod a bit.

"Well, the Headmaster thought it would be nice to give us both a three-day weekend and gave us at least the morning off. Don't worry about your schoolwork, Pam will be by later to catch you up."

Again, Harry gave a small nod and Severus smiled and patted his knee.

"Why don't you get dressed then and we'll have a bit of breakfast."

"Ok daddy, but do you know when they're coming?"

Severus got up and shook his head.

"No Harry, I don't know. You shouldn't worry about that though, let the adults do that. Ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and got out of bed slowly watching as his daddy crossed to the door. Before the man could leave though, he called out.

"Daddy?"

Severus turned around. "Yes child?"

Looking down Harry blushed. "My arm hurts a bit and it's all itchy."

The man's face softened a bit as he walked back over to his son. Gently he sat back down on the bed next to Harry and gave him a side long hug.

"Thank you for telling me Harry. Let me take a look and see whether we need to call Don or not."

Harry gave a small nod and let Severus roll up his pajama sleeve and then undo the bandage that was covering it. Gently Severus prodded the small area noticing that it was still a bit swollen, but it was nothing to be concerned about. Luckily Don had left some of the anti swelling cream by Harry bed as well as that numbing one.

So taking the lids off both of the creams Severus applied a little of each to the boy's arm and then wrapped the area back up so it would not become more irritated.

"There we go. How does it feel now?"

"Better, thank you."

"Good, now off you go to the shower!"

Harry let out a small giggle as Severus picked him up and placed his feet on the floor and then applied a small gentle love pat to his bottom to propel him to the bathroom.

"Hey!"

Severus looked at the boy who had turned his head to pout and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

Harry just turned and snorted as he walked to the bathroom. Severus smiled a little and shook his head in amusement. Then standing Severus walked out of the boy's room and peeked to see whether Harry had made it to the bathroom. Hearing the shower turn on he nodded and went to prepare himself for the day.

Just a few minutes later Severus emerged from his room freshly dressed in a set of his teaching robes. He knew he didn't have to wear them, but they were comfortable, and he had kind of gotten use to them.

Pulling out a small book from a shelf Severus sat down and started to flip through the potion journal. Just a few minutes more a freshly washed boy emerged from the bathroom and padded over to the couch to sit next to Severus.

"Are you ready for something to eat?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus closed hos book so that they could make their way to the kitchen. Gratefully it looked like the house elf had already been there and had left food that Severus knew the boy would enjoy. Granola and yogurt with a side of fresh fruit.

Severus looked back at the boy and had to hide a smile. Harry was looking at the table with obvious glee on his face and wide eyes.

"Come sit down Harry."

Harry was shaken out of his stupor by Severus's voice and walked over to the table blushing a bit. He must have looked like an idiot standing there staring at the table. Shaking that thought out of his head Harry sat down at the table and looked at the glorious food the house elves had brought.

The two then began to dig into their meal. Severus was still very determined to find out just _how _those elves knew exactly the right thing to put on the table at the right moment. It was truly amazing.

As the two were finishing eating their meal, they both heard the floo go off in the other room. Severus figuring that it was Albus bringing the social worker made no more to get up. It would not do if Harry stopped eating because he got up to inspect. The child needed every little bit of food he could.

Not a moment later the pair Severus had predicted entered the kitchen. Getting up, Severus made sure Harry was still eating and made his way over to the doorway where they were apparently waiting.

Severus noticed absently that the woman was quite pretty. She had a very pleasant, warm smile and a sparkle in her eyes that nearly captivated him. Her hair was just below her shoulders and was a sparkling blond that Severus knew he had never seen before. Even though Severus knew he could never have another love after Lily, he had to admit this woman held a cretin radiance that was unlike anything he had ever seen before and he admired her for it.

When he reached them he extended is hand to the social worker and introduced himself properly.

"Hello, I am Severus Snape. It's nice to meet you."

The woman in question nodded as she shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you as well Mr. Snape. I'm Madam Lark. Is that Harry over there?"

"Yes, Madam Lark. I hope you don't mind he is still eating. If he were to get up and leave his meal, he would forget going back to it entirely, and he has missed far too many meals in his life already."

The woman gave a small nod while she withdrew her hand and narrowed her eyes at the boy still eating as if she were studying him intently. "He seems quite skinny and is that a sling around his arm? How is his mind?"

Severus looked at the social worker and gave a soft sigh. "He has his ups and downs, but his Mind Healer Don Patterson says that he will heal just fine. At the moment his shields are down, and he is a bit emotional, but again Don assures me that is normal."

"What about his arm? What happened there?"

Severus turned to look at Albus and when he saw the slight nod Severus let out a small sigh. "A poisonous snake bit him and he had to have surgery to remove the poison. He is just wearing the sling to stop him from bumping it."

Nodding the social workers gaze drifted back to Severus. "We will speak more later. Can I go talk with him?"

Severus gave a little nod. "I look forward to it. Should we leave the room?"

"It would be best if I spoke in private with Harry."

Nodding again Severus let out a small sigh. "Let me just go tell Harry so he does not panic that I am not here."

Seeing the nod Severus went over to the child who was just pushing the bowl away from himself. Kneeling down next to Harry Severus pointed behind them at the woman who was smiling at them both and explained that this was the part where she would have to be alone with him. Severus made it perfectly clear though that if anything happened he did not like he could call him with the pendent around his neck.

Harry knew everything that Severus explained as he had heard the man reassure him before, but he could not help but still feel nervous. When he saw his daddy's searching look though he nodded bravely and said he would be ok.

With a sigh Severus patted him on the arm and watched as the house elves disappeared the remains of their meal with a snap.

"Do you promise to call me if you feel uncomfortable?"

"Yes, daddy. I'll be ok."

With one more searching look and comforting squeeze to Harry's shoulder Severus stood and walked back over to Albus. Albus gave him a small nod and the two left the room as the new social worker approached the small boy sitting at the table.

Reaching the table the woman smiled and pulled out a chair that was near Harry's and sat down so she was somewhat facing the boy.

"Hi there Harry. My name is Madam Lark. How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm fine." Harry looked down at his lap nervously and fiddled a bit with the napkin on the table.

The woman sensed Harry's nervousness so she decided to just jump right in. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions Harry?"

Harry shook his head a bit so the social worker continued.

"How do you like staying with Professor Snape?"

Harry looked up with fear written all over his face. "Please don't make me leave here. I love my daddy. He saved me, he gave me my own room and he's strict, but...but I love him."

The woman gave Harry a small sad smile and placed a gentle hand on his knee. "I don't want to take you from here Harry, but I have to make sure you are safe and happy here before I leave. Can you tell me how many times you eat a day?"

"Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea time, and sometimes he gives me snacks."

"Ok, what's your favorite snack?"

Harry eye's brightened up at bit as his nervousness and fear dwindled a bit by her distraction. "I love fruit! Especially oranges and melon."

Madam Lark smiled at the child in front of her. "I glad to hear that you like healthy snacks. You said that Professor Snape gave you your own room? Do you want to show me?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically and jumped off his chair. Walking to his room Harry beckoned the woman to follow him, and she did so with a small smile on her face.

When they reached Harry's room he went and sat down on the edge of his bed as he watched her look around. Self consciously Harry fiddled with the ends of his shirt.

"I know it's small and I don't have much, but I've never really had anywhere of my own before."

Madam Lark turned and looked at the boy searchingly. Seeing the renewed nervousness she walked over to him pulled up the chair from beside his bed right in front of him while sitting down. "It's lovely Harry. I'm just wondering who decorated? Did you get to pick out these colors?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know who decorated. I was kind of out of it when daddy put me in here the first time. I think either he did or a house elf. I really like it though, and I wouldn't want to change a thing."

Smiling the woman patted Harry's knee gently. "Do you spend a lot of time in here?"

Again Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Kinda, I mean I study in here and this is where I have been sleeping."

Slowly the woman nodded obviously in thought. "Does Professor Snape ever send you in here when he's busy or does he ever seem too busy to spend time with you?"

Harry looked at the woman with raised eyebrows and shook his head. "No? I don't know what you mean."

Madam Lark frowned a little obviously trying to think of another way to rephrase her question. "Well, does Professor Snape ever tell you that he doesn't have any time to help you with your homework or he has too much to do?"

Again Harry shook his head. "No."

"That's good to hear. Does he ever help you with your homework?"

Harry nodded his head. "When I ask him for help he does, but mostly Pam helps me. It's kind of unfair for him to help me when he's the one to grade the essays."

"Who is Pam, Harry?"

Harry looked down at his lap again. "She is the Learning Healer. She comes by every day and helps me with my homework, reading, and handwriting." Harry looked up at the social worker. "She even gave me special grips so that it's easier to hold a quill!"

Smiling she patted the boy on the shoulder. "When did she start helping you with your work?"

"Daddy took me to the clinic last weekend to make sure I was healthy. They did a bunch of tests to see how I was doing in school, and then they decided that I would do better with some help."

Thoughtfully Madam Lark nodded. "Do you think she is helping you, or is she doing your work for you?"

Frowning Harry shook his head. "No, she slows me down when I read too fast and she makes worksheets that make it easier for me to write my essays. She really does help me!"

Patting Harry's shoulder she gave another nod. "Ok Harry, calm down. It was just a question. I bet she does help you and I am glad she does."

"Good, because she helps me more than you know."

The woman rose an eyebrow questionably. "Oh yeah, how is that?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Well, she makes me feel safe and when she helps me she doesn't make me feel dumb. She doesn't call me stupid, or anything when I don't know something like the teachers back in my elementary school did."

"Is that right. Well, I'm glad to hear that Pam doesn't call you names, but why did your other teachers call you that?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't like me very much. My Uncle convinced then that if I got anything right that I must have copied someone else's. I was supposed to be the dumb one."

Patting Harry on the shoulder Madam Lark nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that Harry, but you know that's not true. Right?"

"That's what daddy and Pam say and I'm trying to believe it, but it's hard when I feel so stupid when I don't know something."

"Look at me Harry."

Harry looked up at the woman who gave him a slightly stern look. "Look Harry, all my reports say that you are a very smart and bright young man. Please don't think yourself anything different because that is just not true."

Harry shrugged his shoulders making her sigh.

"Ok then Harry. Let's talk more about living here. Has Professor Snape ever punished you?"

Harry looked up at the woman and nodded and then looked back down at his lap and started fiddling with the end of his shirt again. "Yes."

"And what did Professor Snape do Harry?"

"I...I snuck out of my room late at night and put myself in danger by following a book into a chamber under the school. Daddy said the first day that he didn't want me to put myself in danger and that there would be consequences if I did."

When Harry made no further move to continue the social worker placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. She didn't want to push the boy or embarrass him, but she had to know weather, or not Professor Snape had injured him in any way.

"What was the consequence?"

Harry cheeks became as red as his best friends hair. "He spanked me and I had to stand in the corner for a little while."

The social worker's eyebrows rose up into her hairline. "He did? How do you feel about that?"

Harry's bush stayed on his face as he looked down. This was not a subject he particularly like to discuss; it was embarrassing! "It stung and hurt a lot, but by the time I went to bed that night it was as if it never happened. He...he held me afterword as I cried. It felt so nice to be held like that and...and he said everything was forgiven and forgotten."

Madam Lark nodded and smiled. "It sounds as though he cares for you a great deal."

Harry smiled as he looked down. Unconsciously he pulled Shadow out from behind him and placed her on his lap.

Looking down at the new small creature the social worker rose an eyebrow. "Who is that Harry?"

Harry looked down at the toy in his lap. "This is Shadow. Daddy got her for me, she is my first present, well, besides Hedwig."

"She looks lovely and very soft. When did you get her?"

"Severus took me to get some clothing in Hogsmead and took me to the toy store. He said I could have three things, but I just wanted her."

"Why just her Harry?"

Harry hugged the small cat to his chest. "She was small, and I knew she didn't cost very much. He had already spent so much on my clothing that I didn't want him to spend any more on me, but I knew he wouldn't leave until I picked out something."

The social worker nodded her head sadly. "I have one more question for you Harry. Did Professor Snape ask you to call him daddy or was that something you started doing on your own?"

Harry looked up at her as his blush slowly faded away. "He never asked me. He's my daddy, so why should I call him anything else?"

With a smile on her face Madam Lark shook her head. "No Harry, you are perfectly right. What do you want to do now? Do you want to read a book for a little while I have to go talk to your daddy."

"I'll go write in my journal. Is that ok?"

Smiling the woman gave a small nod. "Yes Harry that sounds perfect."

With the ok Harry hopped down from his bed leaving Shadow behind and went over to his desk opening up the journal as soon as he sat down. Then picking up his quill he opened up the book to the right spot and began to write.

Seeing that the boy was now properly occupied Madam Lark went out in search of the Potions Professor.

Finding the man sitting in the living room next to the Headmaster she gave them both a small nod in greeting. Severus made a small gesture for her to sit down and she took the invitation gratefully.

Both looked at her expectantly, but before she could answer any of their unspoken questions Severus voiced one.

"How did it go?"

The woman had to smile at the worry that was laced in his voice. It was obvious that these two were meant to become family. If only she could sign the papers now and let them be she would, but she had to go through procedures. Harry would still have to meet his cousins and spend some time with them before he made any decisions or signed any papers. Sometimes she hated the system, but she knew it was still better than nothing.

"It seems Harry is very happy living here with you. I still can't do anything in regards to the paperwork until after Harry spends some time with his relatives, but I predict there will be no problem placing him here if that is what he desires. Before I do that though, I have to ask you a few standard questions."

Both Severus and Albus let out a small breath of relief. They had hoped, but were not sure, that they would not have to fight the social worker to agree that Severus was doing an acceptable job. It seemed that al least one of their fears had been resolved.

"First of all, how did Harry come to be in your care?"

So Severus folded his arms across his chest and told the woman all of how he had seen Harry injured and how he had healed him. All the while Madam Lark just nodded her head and listened. Inwardly though she was seething at Harry's Uncle and Aunt and was desperately wishing she could go hex their boots off! How could anyone hurt a child like that?

When Severus was finished with his story the woman closed her eyes for a moment as if to soak up all the information she had just heard. Opening them again she looked at the man across from her intently.

"You said that Harry took a trip to the clinic. Was that more to make sure he was well or did you want to follow up on something?"

Severus knew what the social worker was inferring, no doubt Harry had mentioned going to the clinic to test his learning abilities. Sighing Severus nodded.

"A little of both. We wanted to make sure Harry was healing from all his injuries, but we also wanted to see whether his learning was affected by his time with his relatives. As I am sure you know it was to a certain extent, but we are working on helping him with that."

The social worker nodded. "What about the summer? Where were you planning on staying over the summer? It says here that you have a few family manners, but have not been in residence in any of them for some time. Do you have a proper home for Harry to go back to?"

Severus first shot a glance at Albus, but when he saw the slight nod he nodded as well. "I have been staying with the Headmaster, he is like family, and I thought that Harry would enjoy his spacious manner as well. It is very well equipped with things that would keep him entertained and a large guardian outside that I know he would love."

Severus ignored the twinkling look Albus was sending his way at the mention of family. He was never going to live that comment down. Sighing he listened for the next question the social worker threw him.

"What about peers? Would he be able to see them when school is not in session?"

Again the potion master nodded. "Yes, anytime Harry wishes to see his friends he can floo call them to invite them over or he could go over to their homes. I have no problems with them; in fact, I encourage it."

"Ok, those were some of the easier questions. Now, I have to ask and I mean no offense. Do you just wish to adopt Harry so that you can have access to his money?"

Severus looked outraged at the social worker for asking such a question, but Albus put a calming hand on his shoulder to remind him that she was just doing her job.

"No, as soon as he becomes my son I am sealing all his accounts until he is of age. He is just a child and should not use his inheritance for things I can pay for. That should be used for something when he is older like a home or something of that sort."

The social worker just nodded and hid her smile. She was liking this man more and more. "Punishments, Harry said that you spanked him. Would that be a regular occurrence?"

Severus looked at the woman intently. "No, not at all. I only reserve that for when he placed himself in direct danger. Otherwise, he will spend time in the corner, writing lines or something of that nature."

The woman gave a little nod. "What about changing his name? Would you ask him to change his last name to yours?"

Severus shook his head. "I would not ask him of that. If he decides on his own he would like to change his name then I will be behind him all the way, but that is his decision and not something that I should ask of him."

"Ok that is all the questions I have for you. As you know I will be following up on Harry's case from now on. On Monday, I will be by to take Harry to his cousins. His Mind Healer and his Learning Healer can come visit when they want, but I have to ask you not to visit. He has to be able to adjust in his new environment on his own and see whether he likes it there without outside influences."

Severus hesitantly nodded. He didn't like it, but he understood. "I understand."

"Until then I hope you have a great weekend." She then got off her chair and went over to the floo to floo away.

As soon as she left Severus turned to Albus and put his head in his hands. Gently Albus placed a calming hand on the man's back and rubbed soothing circles.

"Everything will be fine Severus. This too soon shall pass, and then Harry will be your son. No one can take him from you then."

Severus rose his head and looked at Albus. "Do you really think she will help us?"

"It seems that way Severus. She also seems to have a little crush on you."

Severus blushed. "Surely you must be mistaken! Who could ever like a dungeon bat like me?"

"Now, now Severus don't sell yourself short. You are quite handsome. And I believe I saw you returning the same looks she was giving you."

Severus got up still bushing and stated to make his way towards Harry's room. "I think I'll go check on Harry."

As Severus made his exit Albus could not help, but let a smile grace his face and a twinkle enter his eyes. He really did hope that his boy was able to let someone else care about him. He knew that he had been holding on to Lily all this time, but his boy did deserve some happiness and maybe, just maybe, this woman would help him move on.

With that thought Albus got up from the couch and headed to Harry's room. When he reached the doorway, he stopped and just watched as Severus sat on the bed with Harry sitting next to him. It was wonderful to see Severus so relaxed.

Hating to interrupt, but knowing that it was better to inform them of their continued day off Albus spoke up. "Severus, Harry?"

Both looked up at the man and Harry scooted a little closer to Severus as Albus continued. "I think a full three-day weekend is in order. I will cover the rest of your classes this afternoon and gather all your assignments, Harry. Also, I might be by with a surprise guest later on."

Severus rose an eyebrow. "A guest? Does he have a furry little problem?"

Albus laughed outright at Severus's choice of words while he shook his head. "No it is not Remus. It's someone else and that is all I am saying, but I will have to tell Remus of that description."

With that Albus left the room still laughing and shaking his head. Severus grumbled good naturally and shook his head.

"Crazy old man."

Harry looked up at Severus. "That's not very nice daddy."

The man just smiled down at Harry. "I know Harry, but I can't hide the truth."

"Daddy!"

"Fine. He's not crazy, but he is old."

Harry looked up and shook his head. "That still is not very nice."

"I know, but true. Now, we were talking about next week."

Harry nodded and lowered his head. Truthfully, he was grateful for the little reprieve the Headmaster had given him. He didn't want to be taken to his cousins, and he really didn't want to talk about it.

Severus saw the boy's mood shift rapidly and sighed, but knew he had to continue. Reaching behind him he grabbed the book Albus had brought for Harry.

"This is for you Harry. I may not be allowed to come see you, but you can write to me anytime, and I will answer you."

Harry nodded and accepted the book. "So I just have to write in here and you'll be able to talk to me?"

"Yes Harry, I'll write back to you as soon as you write to me."

Harry gave a small nod and leaned into Severus's side. "I don't want to leave you."

Snaking his arm around Harry's shoulders Severus nodded. "I know Harry. I don't want you to leave either, but you will be back home soon. I promise you that."


	22. Visits

Sorry for the long wait and thank you for all the reviews! PHP and ColdFusion are not the easiest to learn at the same time! I predict my brain will be exploding pretty soon. haha Anyway, on with the story!

ladyyuuki16 - your wish is my command! :)

Potter-Charmed-Twilight Child - The whatever people? I'm a bit confused...

Joanne Brandon -Thank you! Don't worry about this story ending too soon. I have still have some tricks up my sleeve. ;)

lilyflower50 - Sorry I should have mentioned something sooner. My thoughts didn't quite make it to the keyboard. haha The cousins are on Harry's father's side.

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><p>Later that day, just after Harry and Severus finished their lunch the floo went off behind them. Severus couldn't help, but let out an exasperated grown. Couldn't everyone just leave them alone for just a few hours? Because honestly that was all he really wanted. Some peace and quiet with his child; that was all. Was that really too much to ask?<p>

It seemed so as Severus heard Albus call for him from the living room. Letting out an exaggerated sigh he pushed himself back from the table and made his way for where he knew Albus was.

Before making his way to the living room though Severus made a quick stop by Harry's bedroom to make sure Harry was still resting peacefully. When he saw the boy was tucked in and curled up in his blankets he quietly closed the door behind him and cast a silencing charm on the door so that Harry would not be disturbed.

It seemed that at least one good thing had come out of these last few days. With Severus's help Harry was finally able to sleep without horrific nightmares. It was a small feat, but one never the less; one that Severus was grateful for.

Walking into the living room Severus stopped in the doorway in surprise. He had expected Albus, but not the older woman who was standing next to him. She was tall, almost as tall as Albus and had a Grandmother like appearance complete with the short curly hair and kind smile.

Coming a bit closer Severus nodded his head in greeting to Albus and then turned to the new woman.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we have met. I'm Severus. May I enquire who you are?"

The woman looked him up and down while narrowing her eyes. "So you are the Professor that gave Harry such a hard time last year. You oughta be ashamed of yourself, you know."

Severus closed his eyes for a moment. "You're Mrs. Landow then?"

Nodding her head stiffly and still frowning the woman left Albus's side and started to circle Severus. When she was back in front of him, she stopped and put her hands on her hips. "So do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I have come to see how wrong I was and I am trying to make it up to him."

"Are you really? You better be doing a damn good job. Do you have any idea how much you hurt him last year? You hated him from the very first moment you laid eyes on him and reinforced every notion that his relatives were right."

Albus came forward and placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder to try to calm her. "We already talked about this Mrs. Landow. A lot has changed since last year and Severus is trying his hardest. You must not be so harsh."

She turned and looked at Albus pointing her finger at him. "Were you in the kitchen when that boy was pouring out his heart to you and broke down because he couldn't understand why his Professor hated him so much? I didn't think so. I can be a 'harsh' as I want, because I _was_ there!"

"Please calm down. I know are frustrated that you could do nothing to help Harry, but things have changed, and he has help now."

The woman closed her eyes. "I know."

Turning around she looked at Severus no longer with narrowed, accusing eyes. "I am sorry. It is hard knowing that a child you care about is being hurt at home, emotionally at school, and not being able to do anything about it."

Severus gave a slight nod. "I understand. Now please let's sit down. Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Mrs. Landow gave a small shake of the head. "No thank you. May I ask where Harry is though?"

Severus placed a guiding hand on the woman's arm and led her to the near by couch so she could sit.

"He is taking a nap right now, but he should be up soon."

As Severus sat next to the older woman she gave a small nod. "How is he doing?"

Severus smiled a bit. "He is adjusting, but doing well."

"Good. I know this is prying, but why are _you_ the one taking care of him?"

Severus sighed. "A long story short, his mother was my best friend."

Mrs. Landow let out a small laugh. "Some friend she must have been for how you treated him last year."

Albus shot the woman a disapproving look. "His father, who Harry has a striking resemblance to, was also the bully who tormented Severus for seven years."

"Oh." The woman blushed and looked at Severus with slightly kinder eyes. "It must have been hard then to see Harry in your class everyday."

Severus gave a small nod. "It was, until I realized that he really is nothing like his father."

Severus then turned to look at the bedroom Harry was in and got off the couch. "Excuse me, I hear Harry is up. I want to let him know we have guests before he comes out. I don't want Harry to jump to the wrong conclusions.

"Severus shot a significant look at Albus and the older man nodded.

Knowing that he was understood Severus turned back around and went to Harry's room.

As he approached Harry's door the man canceled the silencing spell on the door and gently opened it. Entering, a smile graced Severus's face as he saw Harry sitting up sleepily on the bed.

"Hi sleepyhead."

Harry looked at Severus with sleepy eyes and rubbed them. Reaching out with his other hand he grabbed up his glasses and placed them on his face.

"Hi daddy. Is there anything wrong?"

Severus came in a bit more and sat down on the edge of Harry's bed. "No child, I just wanted to let you know we have a guest."

Harry looked at his daddy with worry etched in his eyes. "Who is it? Are they here to take me away?"

Gently Severus laid a hand on Harry's child. "No Harry, not at all. You might know her though...she goes by Mrs. Landow."

"Mrs. Landow? At Hogwarts?"

Severus gave a small nod. "I believe the Headmaster wanted to surprise you."

Harry smiled, jumped out of bed and went in front of the mirror. Carefully the boy straightened out his shirt and brushed the rumples from his pants. Turning he looked at Severus.

"Do I look ok?"

Severus let out a small chuckle. "Your acting like you're going out on a date Harry."

The boy looked down at his outfit and blushed. "I'm sorry...it's...it's just that the last time she saw me...I...I looked really bad."

Getting up off the bed Severus came over and placed a hand on each of Harry's shoulders. "Look at me Harry."

Harry looked up at Severus still blushing.

"It doesn't matter what you wear on the outside, Harry. Only what you have in your heart and your heart will always shine through what a wonderful young man you are. Now come on, I am sure Mrs. Landow is anxious to see you."

"Ok daddy, thank you."

Harry leaned forward into Severus's chest, and the man gently wrapped his arms around the boy. Looking down at the messy haired boy Severus bent forward a little and rested his chin on the boy's head.

A moment later Harry pulled away and looked up at Severus. "Do I really look ok?"

Severus smiled and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair. "Yes, you little scamp. You are going to be difficult when you start dating aren't you?"

Harry blushed again and reached up to try to tame his hair although he knew it was a useless cause.

"Come on then Harry. Let's go and see her."

"Ok daddy."

Severus placed an arm around Harry's shoulders and gently led Harry out of the room to see his old friend. When they reached the living room though all thoughts of nervousness left Harry's mind as he saw Mrs. Landow. He jumped out of Severus's arms and ran to the woman with his arms outstretched.

Leaping into her arms Harry could not help the stray tears that escaped his eyes. "Your here! You're really here!"

The woman oped her arms wide and accepted Harry's hug gratefully. "Yes I am here Harry, now let me look at you."

Harry pulled back from the embrace and let the woman study his critically. "You are still too thin. Is he feeding you properly? And I don't mean as your relatives did."

"Yes he is. He makes sure I eat enough at meals, and he even gives me special medicine to make up for all the meals I missed."

The woman nodded and looked over at Severus with narrowed eyes. " I hope he does."

Looking back at Harry she looked him over once more. "Well, you do look better than you did this summer. Are you doing alright here? You can come stay with me if you want."

Harry looked at Severus and then back at Mrs. Landow. "I'm happy here, actually really happy."

"That's good Harry. You promised you would write to me though once you got here. I understand that you were busy, but try not to make an old woman worry or miss Headwig too much."

The woman smiled at Harry again. "You know you could have told me you were a wizard. That would have explained a lot; I knew you didn't go to a school for the criminally insane."

Harry blushed and looked down while Severus looked on incredulously. "They said you went to school where?"

Harry's face grew redder as Severus stared at both the boy and the woman on the couch.

"They said I went to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

"They what! If they were not in jail..."

Albus got up from his seat and placed a calming hand on Severus's shoulder. "Calm down Severus."

Severus visibly deflated. "I'm sorry. I should not have raised my voice. I am sorry Harry."

Severus got up from his seat on Mrs. Landow and walked over to Severus wrapping his arms around the man. "I know you were not yelling at me daddy. It's ok."

Severus looked down at the small body that was now clinging to him. Sighing he looked up at Mrs. Landow who was frowning at him. He was now just finding out that it was not easy to get on her good side and if he were honest he didn't blame her one bit. Harry had been through a lot and if it were him who had to watch as the boy was hurt again, and again he wouldn't trust easily either.

Severus pulled Harry back a little and knelt down so Harry did not have to look up. The poor boy really was short for his age. "I still should not have raised my voice, Harry, even if I was not yelling at you. I was wrong Harry even if I was upset by what your relative did."

Harry gave a slight nod as he buried his face back onto Severus robes. Severus just sighed and hugged the child close to him.

Ever since the social worker had come that morning Harry had been very clingy. It's not that Severus did not enjoy the closeness that Harry was craving, but he was slightly worried about the boy. Don was supposed to come by later maybe he could talk to him.

Looking up at the woman on the couch he saw her smile at him and he sighed. Harry really was ruining his reputation, but he knew it was worth it. Harry needed care and he didn't mind giving it.

Adverting his gaze back down at Harry he ruffled his hair. "Harry, why don't you go catch up with Mrs. Landow while I talk to Albus. I'm sure she would like to know everything that has happened."

Harry looked up at Severus and smiled. "Ok daddy."

The boy then scampered off to sit back down next to the older woman and started chattering like any other twelve-year old boy. Severus had to smile, it was nice seeing Harry act like his age. Maybe this woman would have to visit more often, or they could take trips to her house? Something to ponder.

Turning back to Albus, Severus waved his hand indicating that they should move to the other room to let Harry and Mrs. Landow have some privacy. He also wanted to have a small private word with the man.

When they reached Severus's office the man quietly closed the door behind Albus. Waving Albus to have a seat Severus himself took the seat across for Albus on the chair. Deciding to forgo any further pleasantries Severus jumped right in and asked Albus what he wanted to know.

"The horcruxs?"

Albus sighed, got out of his seat and started pacing the length of the room with his head down and his hands behind his back. When Severus couldn't stand it any more he got up from his chair and went over to the man placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Tell me."

Albus again sighed as he looked at Severus. "Well, I have some good news with the bad at least. I tracked down that person who I believed had information and I was able to question him. It seems that we at least have one less horcrux to worry about. Before he got the chance to make his sixth, Harry vanished him."

Severus gave a small nod as he slumped back in his seat. "What has you pacing the room then?"

Sitting down Albus leaned back and looked as old as he felt. "I tracked down one of the horcruxs or so I had thought. I went to a cave and fished it out with Minerva's help, but it seems that it was a fake."

Severus looked up at the man who was sadly shaking his head. "So there are still five of them left?"

"Yes. Minerva and I are going to seek out another one we suspect to be in Tom Riddle's Grandparents old manner later this week."

The younger man gave a slight nod. "Can I help in any way?"

Albus reached over and placed a hand on Severus's knee. "You are helping just by being there for Harry. Let me worry about all this."

Severus looked at Albus who looked tired and old and nodded his head solemnly. He knew Albus would argue with him if he insisted on helping and he would lose, but the man looked so frail right now, and he desperately wanted to help.

"What about the mutt and the wolf?"

Albus gave a slightly stern look at Severus. "Severus, I know that you never got along in school, but could you please be respectful to them for Harry's sake?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "He's not here, is he?"

Sighing Albus shook his head knowing that any further attempt would be useless. "I sent a letter to Remus, and he has yet to respond, but the Ministry has already begun to start the processes for giving Sirius Black a proper trial. He will be put on the stand and asked questions under Veritaserum. Hopefully he will be cleared."

Severus gave a small nod. "How is everything else?"

Albus gave a small nod. "The students are all doing well except for a few who seem to be failing already. Of course, it's none of your snakes."

The younger man gave a small nod. "That is good to hear." He then looked up at Albus and gave him a serious gaze. "Is there anything I can do to help you with your headmaster duties. You have been looking awfully tired lately Albus and I know you have been buried in paperwork."

Albus looked up at the man and held his gaze for a moment before looking away sighing. "Yes, there has been much paperwork lately from the ministry, but I don't want you to worry about that. You already have enough on your plate."

"You fell asleep in the great hall last night."

It was a simple statement, but one that made Albus wince. Turning away slightly Albus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes he looked at Severus with a small smile.

"You would have noticed my moment of dozing off. I am an old man Severus, and I sometimes slip up or doze off. Please don't let it worry you."

Severus gave the tired man a piercing look. "If you are sure Albus."

Later on Severus wold be sending Don up to check on him. He knew his mentor had a habit of sacrificing his health 'for the greater good'.

Before Albus could reassure Severus any further though, there was a small knock on the door. Turning slightly Severus got up and walked over to the door leading out into the hallway.

Opening the heavy door Severus was surprised to see Draco Malfoy with Arthur Weasley behind him.

"Draco? Arthur?"

Arthur placed a gentle hand on Draco's shoulder while the boy looked down and started to study the floor.

"Hi Severus. Could we come in?"

Severus stepped back and let the two in shutting the door behind them. "Please have a seat."

Both man and boy sat on the couch Severus had just occupied while Severus came and sat in another chair next to Albus.

As soon as Albus saw the two come in and sit down he got up and made some excuse of having to go. Before he left though, Severus gave him a piecing look.

"Don't think our conversation is over old man. Expect Don to drop by later."

Over his shoulder Albus rolled his eyes. "If you insist Severus. Have a good day boys and Draco?"

Draco looked up at his Headmaster who was smiling at him. "Know that Hogwarts will always help those who ask for it."

The boy blushed and looked down. He was still not used to adult figures other than his mother and Severus caring if he needed help of not.

Pretending to ignore the blush Albus gave the three his last goodbyes and walked out the door and into the hallway.

As soon as Albus left the room Severus's attention was turned back to Draco. "How are you doing Draco?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders while looked down at his feet. Severus's gaze rose to meet Arthur's eyes, and the man gave a tiny nod.

"Is there a reason you came here Draco?"

The boy gave a small nod still looking down. Arthur placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It's ok Draco. I'm right here."

Draco looked up at Arthur and he nodded heaving in a small shaky breath. "Would you and Potter like to join us for dinner this weekend?"

Severus gave the boy a small smile, but the other man could see the flying emotions go through Severus's eyes. Finally, Severus smiled and reached forward to grab ahold of Draco's hand.

"I am honored, Draco, that you wish Harry and myself to join your new family for dinner. Some things have come up though, and Harry is going to have to take a trip next week. When things settle down a bit, we would love to join you for a dinner party."

Draco's face fell. "You don't like me anymore?"

Severus sighed and gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze. "I will always love you Draco. This has nothing to do with that. Why don't we have dinner next week?"

Slowly Draco nodded. "Ok."

"Did you want to visit with Harry for a bit?"

Shyly Draco looked up. "Can I? Is that alright?"

"It will be fine Draco. Right now, he is in the living room talking with an old muggle friend. She is a kind, older woman who I am sure you would like as well."

Draco gave a small nod.

"Come on then Draco."

Draco got up and Severus continued his hold on the boy's hand as he led the boy into the living room with Arthur closely behind them.

When they entered Harry and Mrs. Landow looked up from where they were chatting. The woman gave a questioning glance to the young boy entering while Harry just looked nervous.

Still grasping Severus's hand for comfort Draco came forward to stand in front of Harry. He stood there for a few seconds before he got up the courage to speak and when he did gain the courage his words came out in a jumble.

"I'."

It took a moment for Harry to understand what the boy was saying, but once he did Harry gave a soft sad smile remembering more of what had been revealed to him in the hospital wing.

"It's ok Draco, I understand. Please call me Harry though, I don't like being called Potter."

Draco looked stunned. "You...you are just accepting my apology...just like that?"

Harry nodded. "I understand why you were like that Draco, and it's in the past. I know you may not want to be, but maybe we could be friends."

The boy still clutching to Severus's hand looked at Harry amazed by his capability to forgive. He knew if their positions had been switched it would have taken a lot more for Harry to apologize to him.

"I...I would very much like that."

Harry smiled and held out his hand to Draco. "Friends?"

Draco stopped clutching onto Severus's hand so that he could reach forward and take Harry's hand. "Friends."

Severus turned and looked at Arthur and they shared a small smile. He then turned back and looked at Mrs. Landow.

"Would you mind it if Draco joined you two for a little while?"

The older woman shook her head. "Not at all."

"I'll be back in a little bit ok boys? I just want to talk with Arthur for a moment."

Harry gave a small nod and scooted over on the couch a bit so that Draco could sit down next to him. Draco did so abut a little reluctantly. He was still nervous around this new woman and his former enemy.

When he was settled though the two adults turned to go back to Severus's office. Before they could move to far though, Draco called for Arthur. Concerned the man turned back to look at his new son.

"You'll come back for me, right?"

The man gave him a small smile. "Certainly, I could never leave without you."

Draco gave a small smile and nodded.

When Arthur saw the nod, he turned back around and followed Severus back into his office. After coming through the door, he quietly closed it behind him and sat in the chair across from where Severus sat.

"How is Draco really doing?"

Arthur let out a small sad smile. "He is hurting, but I think he will be fine with time."

"Can I ask you to keep him home for another week?"

Arthur rose a questioning eyebrow, but nodded. "May I ask why?"

Severus let out a small sigh. "It seems we have underestimated Lucius's reach into the school. It would just be best and safest for Draco stays away for a little while more."

The man across from Severus nodded tiredly. "That is no problem. I was going to ask the Headmaster anyway if he stayed home a little longer anyway. While I do think he will heal fine, but as I said he is still hurting over his Mother abandoning him."

Severus nodded, but narrowed his eyes at Arthur. There was something more that he was hinting at, and he wanted to know what it was. "What do you mean?"

Arthur sighed and his eyes became far away as if he was remembering something and he was.

"A few nights ago Ginny had a small tantrum and smashed a dish on the floor. Draco was in the room and saw Molly turn Ginny around and swat her bottom a few times and then hug her close to her chest as she cried. Draco didn't become upset, but the next night he smashed a dish on the floor and then looked at both of us expecting the same reaction. The hurt and pain that was swirling in his eyes was unbearable. It was obvious that he just wanted to be reassured that we still wanted him.

I pulled him into a hug and that was when the dam broke. He has been so deprived of physical contact that he didn't know how to ask for it and so he did what he saw would invite some comfort even if it would earn him a few smacks.

It rips my heart out every time I see him like that. He has broken down several times like that after that incident. He just wants someone to hold him and assure him he is not alone. Both Molly and I make an effort to give him as many hugs as we can a day. It seems to help some."

Severus gave a nod seemingly deep in thought. "How is he interacting with others besides yourself and Molly?"

"You mean with Ginny?"

Severus gave a small nod.

"A bit shy, but they get along well. I can only hope that when Ron comes home that Ginny can knock some sense into his head. If anyone can it would be her. She has one mean bat bogey hex and is not afraid to use it."

Severus had to smile at that. "And may I enquire where she learned that?"

"Well, I hear she heard the incantation as it was used on the Headmaster earlier this year."

Snorting Severus shook his head. "I can't believe she heard that, she mush have been lurking in the shadows as I was when Minerva aimed that at him. I understand she was quite upset at him over Harry living with the Durleys."

"Minerva? Really?"

"Yes, and apparently he couldn't find the counter curse. Naturally, she refused to lift it for an entire hour."

Arthur shook his head in mirth. "Remind me never to get on her bad side."

Severus let out another snort. "My feelings exactly."

Arthur then looked towards the door to where Draco and Harry were. "And Harry? You said something about him taking a trip this week?"

Closing his eyes Severus nodded and told the man the entire tale about how they had discovered that Harry had distant cousins on his father's side and how he was being made to spend time with them.

Arthur nodded knowingly. "And you want to spend as much time with him before he leaves. I understand, but please do come to dinner next week. It will hurt Draco if you do not."

"I promise we will."

"Good. I should probably get back home with Draco. Molly worries if I keep him out too long."

As Arthur got up Severus placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. When the man turned to look at Severus he saw the glint of gratitude in his eyes.

"Thank you for taking Draco in. I would have, but I didn't want to deprive either one the attention they deserve. I know that it is much better for him to have many people around him that care for him."

Arthur gave a small smile. "And thank you Severus for taking in Harry. You are perfect for him, and I am glad that you found he was hurting."

Not knowing what more to say Severus just nodded and let the man go out and collect his son.

Entering the room again Severus was met with three wide smiles. Glad to see Harry and Draco were getting along he let out a smile of his own.

"I think it's time for you to go home Draco."

The boy nodded and looked at Harry. "We'll see each other soon alright?"

Harry gave a small nod. "Soon."

Draco then walked over to Arthur and let the man wrap his arm around his shoulder. "We'll take our leave now. Have a good weekend all of you."

With that Arthur and Draco walked to the door and went out into the hallway. When they had left Mrs. Landow got up and looked up at Severus. "I really should be going as well. I need to feed my cat."

Severus nodded. "Did the Headmaster mention how he was taking you home?"

She nodded. "Yes, he said that I could floo to his office and he would bring me back home. By the way, what is flooing?"

Severus smiled a bit. "You remember how you came?

"When he saw her nod, he continued. "Well that is flooing. You just throw some floo powder in the fire and jump in after declaring your destination."

Nodding again she turned to Harry and planted a big kiss to his forehead. "You behave yourself now, and you can call me whenever you want."

Harry nodded blushing from being kissed. Severus had to smile at Harry's embarrassment.

"Here let me show you how. Maybe when you see Albus you can ask him to connect you to the floo network. I know someone here would love to see you more."

The woman nodded as he led her to the fireplace. "I will ask him."

When they were next to the fireplace and Severus had yelled out the destination the woman discretely turned to face him.

"Please take care of that child. It seems that you are the best thing that could have happened to him. He loves you dearly, and I can tell you love him too."

Severus gave a small nod. "I will take care of him for as long as I live. You can count on that."

She nodded and then stepped into the fireplace.

As soon as she left Harry came up to him and placed a hand on his arm. Looking down Severus smiled when he saw Harry blushing.

What is it Harry?"

"Are you angry at me?"

Severus looked down confused. "No child. Why do you ask?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and shuffeled his feel making Severus sigh. Sometimes it truly was like pulling teeth the muggle way to get any information out of Harry.

Gently Severus placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on Harry and let's sit down. Then, we can talk."

Harry nodded and let Severus guide Harry over to the couch. As he sat down Severus sat next to him and drew Harry up so that he was sitting close to his side.

"Now talk to me Harry. Why do you think I'm angry at you?"

"Your sending me away to my cousins."

Gently Severus snaked his arm around the boy's shoulders and drew him a little closer. "Oh Harry. I'm not sending you away. If I had it my way I would keep you here under my watchful eye for the rest of your life."

Harry nodded, but rested his head on Severus's chest. "Why do I have to go then?"

Sighing Severus looked down at the boy. "It's complicated Harry. The Ministry thinks that these people because they are related to you would be better suited to take care of you."

Harry turned his head up and looked into Severus's face. "I don't think so though, I just want to stay with you."

Reaching up and ruffling Harry's hair Severus smiled. "I know you do scamp. It will be good for you though to meet part of your family even if you don't want to go live with them."

Harry leaned his head back down to rest on Severus's chest. "I'm going to miss you."

"I know Harry and I'll miss you. We'll be able to talk through our journals though ."

Harry nodded against Severus's chest. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too son."

* * *

><p>Later that night Harry awoke from a startling dream. It wasn't a nightmare per-say, just one of those dreams that woke you suddenly and made you slightly nervous. For a few minutes Harry lay motionless in his bed knowing that his daddy wouldn't be cross with him for waking him, but then not really wanting to test his luck.<p>

Sighing he finally decided that he would risk his luck. He wanted to be near someone, anyone at the moment. So he threw the covers off his body and slowly slipped off the bed and padded to his bedroom door. Exiting his room he quietly went over to Severus's room and turned the nob.

As he did so he realized that he had never been in his daddy's room before. He wondered what everything would look like and if the man would mind that he was invading his privacy.

When he fully entered the room, he looked around with a curious eye. The décor was much like the rest of the rooms, comfortable and in deep tans. There was a cabinet that Harry assumed held clothing along the far wall and deep red curtains that framed a large window looking out to the black lake. As he looked around the room some more, Harry spotted the bed, and the sleeping potions master that lay within it tucked under the many covers.

Quietly Harry called out to Severus. "Daddy?"

No answer so Harry tried a bit more loudly. "Daddy?"

Again no answer so Harry moved a little closer to the bed and tried again. "Daddy?"

This time a tired voice came from the bed. "Harry, child, is that you?"

Harry nodded, but realized that in the darkness Severus could not see him. "Yes, it's me daddy."

Concerned Severus sat up and peered in the direction he heard Harry's voice come from. "What's wrong child?"

"I didn't want to be by myself."

Sighing Severus pulled back the covers and patted the bed meaningfully. "Come here Harry."

Harry came forward, but paused beside the bed. "A...are you sure?"

"Yes, child, hop in."

Harry carefully slid underneath the blankets and Severus covered him up hugging him close as he did.

"Is there anything troubling you?"

"I don't know. I kind of had a weird dream, but I can't really remember it."

"What part do you remember?"

Harry snuggled close into Severus's arms and rested his head against his chest. Sleepily he started to tell Severus what he remembered. "You were wearing a purple hat, and the Headmaster was smiling at you."

"That is a strange dream. Why don't you close your eyes now and try to have a better one? Hmmm?"

Harry nodded against Severus's chest and let the man's heartbeat sooth him into a peaceful dream.

Looking down at the now sleeping child Severus brushed back the messy hair. "That's it child."

He then carefully leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and hugged him just a bit closer.

He knew it had just been a little more than a week since Harry was in his little world, but Merlin how was he going to live without him for a week? It really was amazing how attached they had become.

Focusing on that line of thought Severus thought back to Don's visit earlier that day. The man had come shortly after dinner when they were on the couch reading a book that Pam had brought the boy.

He was still slightly angry with the woman, but he did understand where she was coming from. She was just trying to help both of them. His handwriting truly was atrocious and would do more harm than good for Harry if he were to help him. He loathed to admit it, but maybe he could do with some help from Pam.

Don had suggested it before, and he had been putting it off, but maybe now he could take the offer and turn it into something for Harry. Make it into a lesson about how everyone needs help sometimes. Merlin knows Harry still needs some help in that department.

Tangent aside Don had checked Harry's arm once more when he had visited and declared that Harry could take it out of the sling. It was as much as a relief for Severus as it was Harry. That thing had gotten in the way more than a few times and Severus was ready to get rid of it.

He had also checked Harry's writing hand again for anything funny going on with it as Pam had asked him too. He found nothing new that was hurting the boy, but he did find a bone that had healed in the wrong position and that was making it harder for him to write with a quill.

Since it was not life threatening though, they had decided to forego the spells that would fix it until Harry came back to school and had a few days where he didn't have to write anything. It was not that it was a particularly invasive or painful procedure, but it would make Harry's hand sore for a few days, and it would be best if he were able to rest it before trying to use it again.

With that settled Don had gone on to give Harry a small therapy session in his room so that the boy could let out anything that was bothering him. Don had even said that they had talked a little about Harry's past with his relatives and that was why Don had called him in so that he could comfort the boy. Apparently, Harry had only wanted Severus to hold him right then.

Shortly after Harry had calmed down, Severus had sent Don to go check up on Albus and had settled Harry back on the couch with him and a book in hand. Severus was soon finding out that reading soothed the boy and made him calm down quicker than anything else; even a calming potion.

Severus sighed as he was broken out of his thoughts by a soft snore. Looking down again Severus laid back himself and began to get more comfortable. With Harry still snuggled up against his side, Severus looked at the small face.

Today during Don's visit was truly a testament to how close they had gotten. He really hoped that he did nothing to break that trust or to hurt the child. If he did he didn't think he would be able to bare it.


	23. Story books

Hello my loyal readers! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! Just to warn you this chapter had a bit of a graphic abuse scene at the end. So if that bothers you please skip it!

Lady DestinyHope - I might, and I say might because I don't know when I will find the time, write a side story about Draco and the Weasleys. If I can't find the time though there will be more Harry and Draco in this story. I think it's good for them to spend time together.

Joanne Brandon - I might just do that spin off. I think it would be interesting to write from Draco's perspective, I haven't really done that before.

1120 - Let's hope Harry doesn't regress too much!

* * *

><p>The rest of the weekend went smoothly for Severus and Harry. Harry was a bit clingier than normal, but Don said that was normal for a child in his situation and even if Severus didn't admit it aloud he quite liked the close contact with his son. Well, except when Harry would become fearful every time Severus had to attend to one of his snakes and had to leave for a little while. Then, it had been awful. For when he came back Harry clung to him with tears in his eyes saying that he thought he had left him for good.<p>

With many reassurances and hugs Harry would be fine, but still it disturbed Severus just how quickly Harry forgot those kind words. He knew that with all those years of abuse it would take a lot of time for Harry to learn to trust again, but still it was hard for the man to see Harry like that. It broke a little part of his heart every time.

Albus's weekend on the other hand was quite busy. He had received a letter from Remus stating that he had no desire to be near Sirius Black after what he had done to the Potters, but he would come back home to see Harry. He was dismayed that Harry had been treated poorly by his relatives, but was immensely glad that Severus had seen the signs and had taken him in. He had always known Severus had a good heart under his snarky attitude.

As soon as Remus had gotten to Hogwarts he had wanted to see Harry, but Albus had other plans. He had told the man that Harry and Severus needed a quiet weekend after everything they had been through, and everything they would be going through. Reluctantly the man had agreed and made a vow not to disturb the two until Albus said that it was the right time. Albus had then told Remus all of what had happened with Sirius although Remus said that he truly did not want to hear anything about him.

After many soothing words and convincing Remus finally believed what Albus was telling him. The revelation did not come easily though the man had broken down in heaving sobs for what had been done to his friend, and it had taken almost an hour to calm him.

When their meeting had finally ended Albus had set Remus up in a small cottage by the beach to relax in. He knew the man was having a hard time financially due to his monthly problem and he knew that when Sirius was let out it would be the perfect spot to start his recovery. It was heavily warded against self injury, something that was typical of someone who stayed in Azkaban, and was peaceful and calm. He remembers that Severus had quite liked that house when he was recovering.

After Remus was settled with a full fridge of food and a house elf to cook for him, Albus had again set to the task of freeing Sirius. The Ministry had yet again set back the trial date hoping that by the time the trial rolled around everyone would forget about it completely. So when the date did come around the public would not make a fuss if the trial went the opposite way they wished. They still wanted the poor man locked up to hide their mistake, and it seemed that they were about to do anything they thought would achieve that goal.

It was unfortunate for them that Albus was on a mission to free the innocent man though. He pulled a few more strings here and there and was able to move the trial back up to next week. He had even taken, with permission mind you, a vial of Severus's strongest truth serums to use on the man. When he was on a mission nothing could stop him from getting things done properly.

That Sunday though Don had payed him another visit. The first visit on Friday he was able to fool the Healer into thinking that it was just passing fatigue that had taken him those few nights when he had fallen asleep at the dinner table, but this time the bags under Albus's eyes spoke louder than whatever he might say.

Right away Don had given the man a glare he knew Severus would have been proud of and pointed directly to the living room for a chat. Sighing Albus complied and sat down on the soft couch he had not visited for some days. It was amazing how one forgot how comfortable something was when they were so very tired.

Expertly Don then pried out everything that was troubling the old man and set it neatly on the table before them. They spoke for long hours about how much Albus had on his plate at the moment and how he had tried to delegate some of the work to Minerva, but found that she didn't really have time for it either.

With a sigh Don had concluded that he could help with some of the paperwork and suggested to ask one of the other staff members if they could take over some of his work. Reluctantly Albus had agreed to ask Filius at dinner that night. The older wizard might not like it, but he knew the Healer was right. He did need help.

* * *

><p>Monday rolled around too quickly for everyone's taste, but especially for Harry and Severus.<p>

To wake Harry that morning Severus gently shook Harry's shoulder while he smiled sadly down at him. He had slipped into Severus's bed again last night needing the closeness that was offered. Again, Severus had allowed the boy to snuggle up to him. How could he refuse Harry when he stood there in his pajamas looking so hopeful?

Again, Severus gently shook Harry's shoulder to try to wake him. This time though he was rewarded with two sleepy eyes looking up at him. Smiling Severus brushed back the hair that was covering the boy's face.

"Good morning Harry."

Harry smiled at Severus as he placed his hand on top of Severus's. "Good morning daddy."

"Are you ready to get up Harry?"

Slowly Harry nodded his head and removed his hand from the man's.

"Ok then, why don't you go take your shower. Madam Lark said that she would be by around ten so that gives us plenty of time for a nice breakfast."

Harry moved to sit up as he nodded. When he was sitting up on the edge of Severus's bed though the man could tell that Harry was trying hard to keep his emotion in check. Sighing slightly Severus sat down next to Harry and wrapped his arm around the boy.

"It will be ok Harry. You'll be home before you know it."

Harry turned slightly and buried his face in Severus's robes. Closing his eyes for a moment Severus sighed and started to rub soothing circles into the boy's back.

"What is it Harry?"

"I...I don't want to leave."

Still, patting Harry's back Severus set out to soothe the boy.

"It's only a week Harry, and you can talk to me whenever you want. Can you make a promise for me?"

Harry looked up from where he was still clutching to his daddy and gave a small nod.

"Try to make the best of this. I know you don't want to go, but think of it as an adventure. You get to meet new people and see new things and when you do you can tell me all about it when you write."

The boy nodded again and very quietly answered Severus. "Ok daddy."

"Good. Now go take your shower."

Harry nodded against his side and then scooted more to the edge of the bed and then slipped off. Quietly he padded off to the bathroom while Severus watched him with some worry. He truly did hope this week went well. He didn't know whether Harry could take any more hurt than had already been through.

Sighing Severus shook himself from that train of thought and got off his bed to get ready for his day. He really had not been looking forward to this day, but he couldn't just forget what was going to happen today. The social worker was going to come and take Harry away from him.

While Severus was getting ready in his bedroom Harry had gone into the bathroom, but instead of turning on the shower and hopping in he closed the toilet seat and sat down letting his head rest in his hands. Slowly and without realizing it tears began to escape from his eyes as he struggled to remember that he was only going to be away for a week, just one week.

When Harry had gained a little more control over his emotions he stood and wiped the remainders of his tears onto his sleeve. He then turned and went about his business of taking his shower. He hoped that the tears would be hidden by the warm water. He didn't want to worry his daddy any more than he had already.

After taking his time bathing and getting himself ready for the day, Harry walked out of the bathroom and went to his room to look over his things one last time. He wanted to make sure that he had everything he would need for the next week. He knew he could just ask Don to grab him something, but he didn't want to be a bother.

When he was sure he was all set, he walked out into the living room and spotted Severus through the door in the kitchen speaking with a house elf; more than likely ordering breakfast. Heaving a sigh Harry walked into the kitchen just as the house elf popped away, and food appeared on the table.

Turning, Severus saw the boy enter and gave him a small smile. "I thought you would like some oatmeal this morning. It will keep you full and warm for a long while."

Harry nodded and smiled at the care in Severus's voice. It felt nice to be cared for. "Sounds good daddy."

"Good. Have a seat then and dig in. There is cream in the oatmeal so if you want juice this morning you can have some instead of milk."

Harry smiled again as he saw the steaming bowl of oatmeal that had a copious amount of cream in it, and a ton of berries littered on the surface. Sitting down Harry did as Severus said and started to dig into his meal.

When they were both finished with their meal it was rolling around to the time that Madam Lark said she was coming. Slowly Severus helped Harry take his two small bags out of his room and place them near the floo so that he would be ready when the social worker came. When both bags were placed down Severus disappeared into his bedroom and left Harry sitting on the couch.

When he came back, he had the fairy tail book in his hands. Coming over to Harry he placed the book gently on Harry's lap.

"Now Harry can you do one more thing for me?"

Harry gave a small nod. He would do anything for this man.

Smiling Severus patted Harry on the knee. "While you are away I want you to read a story out of this book every night before you go to bed. Do you think you can do that?"

"Are you sure you want me to take your book daddy?"

"Yes child. That book it yours now."

Harry looked down at the book in awe. When he was being read too, he hadn't noticed just how beautiful the cover was. It looked like an older book, but it had gold swirles etched all over the cover and had a beautiful navy binding.

Still looking down Harry traced the decoration gently. "It's beautiful."

Still smiling Severus nodded. "It will make a fine addition to your collection."

Harry looked up. "Collection?"

Gently Severus again patted the boy on the knee. "Yes, I thought that when you came back next week we could take a trip to Hogsmead and look for some more books to fill your shelves."

Harry's eyes brightened. "Really?"

Slowly Severus nodded and was caught a bit off guard as Harry jumped to his feet and launched himself at him. A second later though he regained his footing and wrapped his arms firmly around Harry.

Just as Harry was getting ready to pull back the floo went off and a moment later Don stepped out. Hearing the floo Harry instead of pulling back clutched a little tighter to Severus. He had obviously thought that it was Madam Lark here to collect him.

Gently Severus patted Harry's back as Don came further into the room. "It's just Don, Harry."

Harry looked over at the Healer, but still he held onto his daddy. The man sighed a little, but let the boy do what he wished. He knew he was indulging him, but he couldn't help wanting the same closeness the boy was seeking.

"Hello Harry, Severus."

Severus nodded to the Healer as Harry rested his head on the man's chest.

"How are you two doing today?"

Severus looked down at Harry's messy hair. "I think we are doing just fine today. Just a little nervous."

The Healer nodded and looked down at Harry. "I would be nervous too, but I know I would feel better if someone I knew came with me. That's why I thought I could come with you and Madam Lark to meet your cousins."

Still, resting his head on Severus's chest Harry turned and looked at Don. "Will you stay with me for a little bit when we get there?"

Don nodded and smiled. "Until you are comfortable and settled in."

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Harry."

Just then he floo went off again, and Madam Lark appeared. Sighing Severus gave Harry one last hug and tried to pull away. He could not let go of Harry though as the boy's hold had only straightened.

Sighing Severus gently rubbed Harry's back. "It's time to go Harry; you have to let go."

Harry buried his face in the man's robes as he shook his head.

"Come on Harry. It will only be a week. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back."

Again, Harry shook his head. Sighing Severus looked to Don for help, and the man reluctantly came forward to pry the boy's hands out of Severus's robes.

"Come on Harry."

Gently Don managed to remove Harry's hands, but it seemed as if Harry was not going to go easily.

"I don't want to go!"

Slowly Severus knelt down before the boy. "It will be ok Harry. I promise you."

Harry nodded and wiped away the tears from his eyes with the edge of his sleeve. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too Harry. Go with Don and Madam Lark now."

Harry nodded and launched himself on Severus again this time full of tears. Gently Severus patted his back and rubbed soothing circles. "Calm down now Harry, everything will be alright."

Harry's crying slowed down and he pulled back from Severus. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too son."

Don placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder, and Harry turned to him and nodded. Slowly Don picked up the boy's bags while Harry picked up the book and clutched it tightly to his chest along with his small stuffed cat he had picked out of his backpack.

Madam Lark came over and gently smiled down at the boy. "Ready to go?"

"Do I have to go?"

Sadly the social worker nodded. "I know you don't want to Harry, but I'm afraid you do have to."

Harry's head descended to his chest as he accepted the social worker's hand that rested on his back guide him to the fireplace. The next moment with some floo powder thrown, and some words said all three were now gone from Severus's rooms.

* * *

><p>Feeling slightly nauseous when he was spit out of the floo Harry looked around his surroundings curiously. Wiping away the remaining tears and soot off himself he could not help but wonder where he was. He knew he was in a lively pub, but in what country he knew not.<p>

Breaking him out of his thoughts Don placed a hand on his shoulder. "We are in Spain Harry. We could not floo directly to your cousin's home, but this is the pub right down the street."

Harry nodded and looked around again really taking in all the sights. The pub had a warm and inviting atmosphere. Everyone was sitting around talking to one another and every so often someone laughed at a joke that was said. Harry almost sighed in relief that no one was starring at him or at his scar.

He remembered his first time in the Leaky Cauldron and how everyone had stopped to stare at him and shake his hand. It was awful, and he wished to never experience that again.

Gently Don brought the boy out of his thoughts by giving him a small push forward. Shaking his head slightly to clear the memory of that day Harry turned back and looked at his Healer.

Don had pulled out a jacket that Severus had bought for him out of his bag and handed it to the boy.

"Put this on Harry. It gets chilly this time of years, and I don't want you to catch a chill."

Harry nodded and put on the coat. When it was all zipped up Harry took the social workers hand and let her guide him out of the pub and onto the street.

As soon as they were outside a crisp, cold wind swept across their faces and Harry was immediately glad that Don had made him put that jacket on. If it was this cold with the warm jacket, Merlin he would have been freezing without it!

Recovering from the shock of it being so chilly Harry dutiful let Don and Madam Lark lead him to where his relatives lived. As they walked Harry looked around curiously. It was quite a beautiful little village and from the sight of the people who lived here it must be a wizarding village. The buildings looked strangely like those on Diagon Ally, but with more of a Spanish flare to them. There were many shops that advertised wizarding gear such as robes, wands, potion supplies and even a small shop for where you could buy magical pets. It seemed as if this really was an amazing little village. He hoped that his relatives would be as inviting as this village seemed to be.

Walking to the end of the lane the two adults began to guide Harry down a side road and up to a large looking mansion. Harry's eyes practically bulged out of his head at the sight. He had never really seen a proper Wizarding home before besides the Burrow and the Burrow was definitely not like this.

Reaching the door Don knocked gently, but loud enough to be heard. In the next moment, the door was opened by a small house elf.

"Master and Mistress have been waiting for you. Right this way."

The three shared a look, but followed the elf into the house and into what looked to be a sitting room. Don set the bags down by the couch, and quickly the house elf picked them up and disappeared with a snap. Startled Harry looked where his bags once were and then up at Don.

"Where did he take my bags?"

Don smiled down at the boy while he guided him to sit down on the couch. "I'm sure he just took them to your room. Don't worry Harry."

The boy nodded and leaned into his Healer's side seeking comfort. He was not ready to be away from the only people who had shown him care so far. He knew he could write to his daddy and call Don whenever he wanted to see him, but still he was not liking this.

Sensing Harry's nervousness and fear Don placed a gentle arm around Harry's shoulders and started to send the boy a slow stream of calming magic.

Just as Madam Lark was sitting down on Harry's other side, a stern looking woman entered the room with a tall kind looking man behind her. To Harry, they seemed like an odd looking couple. The woman must be four-foot tall, but the man had to be at least six foot if not more.

As they came in Don stood up picking Harry up and setting him in front of him while gently setting both hands on his shoulders. Beside them it appeared that Madam Lark did the same.

"Mr. and Mrs. Diaz thank you for letting us into your home. My name is Don Patterson, you have met Madam Lark and this here is Harry."

The woman came forward and looked Harry up and down. "He will do. Your room is upstairs and to the left. I trust you can stay out of trouble."

With that, the woman left the room leaving the three in front of them in a stupor. Neither one really knew what had just happened. Just as Harry leaned further back into Don, the man stepped forward and smiled at the three.

"Please forgive my wife. She is not to fond of children, but I am sure with time she will learn to love Harry here. I can already tell he is a fine young man."

Don smiled at the man. "He is indeed a fine young man. Why don't you and I have a chat while Mrs. Lark and Harry go unpack and get settled?"

The man nodded. "That sounds like a fine idea. If you have any trouble at all just call Mary the house elf. She will be happy to assist."

The social worker nodded and reached out to take hold of Harry's hand. "Come on Harry. I know Don will not leave without saying goodbye."

Harry nodded, but reluctantly let go of Don's robes. Unconsciously he had grabbed onto them for comfort when the new man had started talking. The boy was not receiving good vibes from him; it was rather the opposite. He really hoped that his gut was wrong, but he knew deep in his heart his gut had never lied to him before.

With that thought Harry left the room with the social worker glad that he was leaving the man's presence, but sad to be leaving Don.

Back in the room Don had sat back down on the couch and Mr. Diaz sat in the chair across from him.

"Mr. Diaz, has Madam Lark informed you of Harry's medical problems?"

"Please call me Mark. And medical problems? He looks quite healthy."

Don shook his head. "You must understand that while I might have healed his visible wounds there are still ones that cannot be seen by the naked eye."

The man nodded. "And what is wrong with the boy?"

"He has nightmares, quite graphic ones. I have a stock of calming potions for you when he wakes. For the last few nights Severus has been Occluding his mind for him before he goes to sleep and that seems to help, but I don't know if you know how to?"

The man shook his head. "Sadly I do not know. We should give him a calming potion after a dream?"

Don gave a small nod. "Yes, you will see he becomes quite upset after a nightmare and cannot calm on his own. That also leads to another of his problems. Harry has a weak bladder. He sometimes cannot control his bladder and wets himself. Especially during a bad nightmare. You must remember it is not his fault. He has been through a lot and is doing his best to heal."

The man looked away. "So he wets the bed."

Don narrowed his eyes at the man. "Yes, but only under great duress from nightmares."

Mark nodded and looked over at the Healer. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Not really knowing where this man's thought were going Don nodded. "Yes, before he eats anything he must have a glass of milk or a thing of yogurt. The lining of his stomach has been eaten away and needs something to coat the inside or else he will throw up anything he eats."

Nodding Mark looked thoughtful. "What else?"

Although at first glance this man seemed to be friendly and kind, but Don was beginning to see another side of him. The way he was reacting to the news that Harry had issues spoke far louder than words. Don vowed that he would be back here tomorrow morning to make sure Harry was alright. He really wished he could spend the night with Harry, but his request to stay with Harry this week had been shot down by the ministry. They wanted Harry to have 'quality' time with them.

"There is no guide to children Mark, I cannot tell you everything there is to know about Harry. I can only tell you of what troubles him medically everything else you will have to find out on your own."

Again, Mark nodded his head. "I understand."

"Don got up. "Good. I should go make sure Harry is settled in, and then we shall take our leave."

Mark got up as well and walked the Healer to the stair case. "As you heard my wife say. The bedroom is to the left."

The Healer nodded as he started up the stairs to see Harry. When he reached the door, he peaked in the saw Harry sitting on a rather large bed looking down at his feet with the social worker sitting by his side trying to calm him.

Knowing Harry was in a delicate state the Healer came in quietly and sat by Harry's other side. Gently he pulled the boy to his side as he had seen Severus do on many occasions and then sent the boy waves of calming magic.

"Do you want to tell me how you are feeling Harry?"

Harry rested his head on the man's shoulder and shook his head. "I just want my daddy."

Don pulled the boy a little closer to him. "I know you do Harry. Why don't you open up that journal that your daddy gave you and write to him?"

Harry nodded, but made no move to get up and retrieve the book. He was too busy clutching that small cat plushy to his chest. So the social worker got up and retreated the book and a quill for him to write with. Gently she placed it in his lap and tried to hand him the quill.

"Here you go Harry."

Slowly and hesitantly the boy reached out with one hand and took hold of the quill. Then with the same hand awkwardly opened up the book to the first page. He then slowly wrote to Severus and hoped that the man would write back.

"I miss you daddy."

In just a few moments, Harry felt the book grow warm and he looked down as the words appeared on the page.

"I miss you too Harry. How is your new room? Do you want to tell me about it?"

Don looked down at the journal and smiled knowing that now Harry had a way to communicate with Severus he would feel a bit more comfortable here even if he was still a little afraid.

"I think it's time that Mrs. Lark and I leave now. Are you alright with the Harry?"

Harry looked up at the Healer with fear in his eyes. "Please don't leave me."

Don wrapped his arms around the boy. "Hey now. We are not leaving forever. Remember you can call me anytime you want with your pendent, and I will be back tomorrow."

Harry nodded and finally relaxed into Don's embrace. Over the boy's head though, Don shot a worried glance at Mrs. Lark and she shared his look. They knew Harry was going to be upset about staying with other people, but they had not expected the boy to beg them to stay after he had communicated with Severus. Even more disconcerting was the Harry was now crying softly into Don's robes.

Gently Don pulled the boy back a bit so that he could look Harry in the eyes. "Why are you crying Harry?"

"They don't like me and I want to go home. I want to be with my daddy."

Pulling Harry back into an embrace Don sighed and started to rub soothing circles onto his back. "They don't know you Harry. I am sure that once they get to know you they will love you very much. I know you want to go back and see Severus, but right now you have to stay here. I promise you everything will be alright."

Harry gave a small sniffle as he looked up at Don. "You promise?"

"Yes Harry I promise. Now why don't you go sit at the desk and talk to your daddy. I am sure he wants to hear all about this lovely room and the town you are in."

Harry gave a small nod and got off the bed with both his stuffed cat and book in hand. Quickly he made his way over to the desk and sat down opening the book and sitting down. While he was doing so Don came up from behind him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder giving it a small squeeze.

"I'll see you in the morning Harry."

Still with a few stray tears in his eyes Harry gave a small nod clutching his plushy to his chest.

Sighing Don knew there was little more he could do for the boy so he beckoned the social worker and as they left they shut the door quietly behind them.

In just a few moments of looking down at the book before him, Harry saw worried writing as the book grew warm.

"Harry? Are you alright?"

The boy gave a small smile at the concern etched in those words. He then picked his quill back up and started to write.

"I'm ok. Don and Madam Lark just left."

Again, the book grew warm as Severus wrote to him.

"So you are all settled in? Why don't you tell me about your room?"

Harry looked around. He hadn't really noticed what was in this room before, he was too much in a daze as he watched the social worker put away his things. Looking around now though, he saw how big this room was. It was dressed in dark blues and had books all along the walls. It was a nice room, but it didn't hold the same warmth, and welcoming feelings his room back at Severus's did.

"It's nice. Everything is in shades of blue and there is a big bed for me to sleep in."

"What about your cousins? Can you tell me about them?"

Harry hugged the stuffed toy a little closer to him as he thought of the cold look in that woman's eyes.

"I don't know daddy. They don't seem to like me very much. Mrs. Diaz, I don't even know her first name, kept giving me cold looks. Mr. Diaz kept smiling, but it wasn't kind...it was kind of scary."

A few minutes passed as Severus thought of what to say to comfort his son, but it was hard when what was being said put a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach.

"I'm sure as soon as they get to know you better they will care about you very much. You need to tell me or Don if anything happens, ok?"

Harry picked up his quill and wrote what he knew he would never do. He didn't want to be perceived as weak after all. "I promise I will daddy."

"Good. Now it's almost luch time. Why don't you see when lunch is and have something to eat?"

Harry agreed as his stomach rumbled and wrote so in his journal. Then closing the book he kept his small toy clutched close and padded to the doorway to go ask when lunch as.

Walking down the hallway Harry could not help, but think it was creepy. The portraits he hadn't noticed were there before sent scowls at him and said things that scared Harry immensely. They sounded so much like his Uncles and Aunts words that it frightened him.

Shivering slightly Harry continued down to the where he thought the kitchen was.

Reaching the double door, he hesitated slightly before pushing them open. When he did, he saw four house elves running around preparing what looked to be a great meal. As soon as he entered the room though all four elves stopped what they were doing and stared at the boy. The one that he had met earlier though popped in front of him as the other four started working at an even faster pace.

"Boy is to stay in his room. Boy must not disturb anyone. Food will be brought to boy later."

Harry looked at the elf confused. "I have to stay in my room? What about lunch?"

"Master said boy is to stay in room at all times. Now go back to room."

The elf popped away, and the boy reluctantly marched back up to his room. While he walked down the hallway he couldn't help, but wonder just how long he was going to be confined to his room. From the Dursley's he was use to being in a room for weeks on end, but he really hoped that was not going to be the case here.

Reaching his room he closed the door behind him and lay down on his bed curling his knees into his chest. Holding his small cat close to his chest he closed his eyes and tried to think of happy things. About, how much he loved his daddy and it would only be a week until he would be home. Just one week.

* * *

><p>When Harry woke next, he was being violently shaken from a nightmare. Opening his eyes he saw two angry ones looking at him.<p>

"You little brat! How dare you interrupt our meal with your silly nightmare! Not your fault my ass. You are weak and pathetic, let me teach you just want happens to weak little boys who misbehave!"

Harry curled protectively covering his head with his arms and pulling his knees up to protect his stomach. He didn't know what this man was going to do to him, but he didn't like the sound of it. The next instant told Harry just what was going to happen though as he heard a belt being taken out of a set of pants.

Curling in on himself a little tighter Harry felt the first lash on his back. Much training from his Uncle had taught him how to bite back a scream so he bit his lip and hoped beyond all hope the pain would not last.

It seemed it was not Harry's day though. Mike Diaz stood there lashing the poor boy with the end of his belt for many minutes frustrated that he could not make the boy scream as he wanted him too. Finally, wen his arm grew tired the man lowered the belt one last time on the child, but then reached forward and grabbed the small toy that had been Harry's one source of comfort.

"You want to see your little toy here in one piece again? You won't tell anyone what happened here. Understand?"

Harry whimpered, but said nothing. Frustrated with the boy the man slapped Harry soundly on the back of the head.

"I said understand?"

Biting back a sob Harry nodded. "Y...yes...sir."

"Good. Maybe if you're good this week you'll get this little piece of trash back. If you don't, it'll go in the fire. You hear?"

Harry again nodded his head not wanting that smack to his head. With that Harry heard his door being slammed closed and a locking charm being said from outside.

When he was sure no one was there to hear him, he let out some silent sobs that racked his body. He hurt everywhere, and he missed Shadow and his daddy. He just wanted to be home in his own bed where his daddy said he would protect him as long as he lived.

Harry lied there in pain and crying for a long while until he felt a cold damp patch on the front of his pants. He had wet himself again, and he now had no way of cleaning himself off. He was surly going to have a rash later from not washing.

Carefully Harry got off his bed and moved to where he saw the witch put away his things earlier. Very slowly as to not cause any more pain Harry grabbed a new set of pants and underwear. He slowly slid off the ones he was wearing and put on the new once. He was grateful his daddy had made him pack extra underwear and pants just in case this happened. He was sure he had at least enough for two weeks without washing anything.

When he was done changing Harry went over to his desk and opened the book. Deciding not to sit down because it hurt too much Harry picked up the quill and began to write to Severus.

"Daddy?"

At that one word a few traditions tears escaped the boy's eyes and landed on the page making small water marks.

"Harry? What is the matter child?"

Harry wiped his tears on his sleeve and picked his quill up again.

"Nothing daddy. I just miss you."

"Is that why there are tears on the page or is there another reason? Remember you can tell me anything."

Harry nodded and wanted to tell his daddy of what had happened, but he remembered his small toy in the man's grasp. He couldn't risk his first gift from his daddy.

"I just miss you a lot daddy."

"And I miss you too child. What did you have for lunch?"

Harry bit his lip again and tasted the metallic taste of his own blood where he had bitten too hard. Suddenly, his stomach was reminding him of how hungry he really was. Should he tell his daddy he had nothing to eat yet or should he tell a small lie so he would not worry. He didn't want his daddy worrying about him after all.

Apparently, he had waited too long to reply though, and he saw a hastily scribbled message from Severus written across the page.

"Child? Did you have something to eat?"

Harry decided, he would tell a small white lie for he knew he would get something to eat later on.

"Yes daddy, we ate together in the dining room."

Apparently that answer was not enough for the potion master though as he pushed the child further. "And what did you three have for lunch?"

Biting his lip again Harry lied through his teeth. "We had turkey sandwiches."

"I'm glad to hear that Harry. I bet it was good. What are you planning on doing for the rest of the afternoon?"

Harry thought, he had not really planned anything. His back hurt too much to do much and he really had no way out of this room. He definitely would not go to sleep anytime soon so maybe he could look at that book Severus had given him.

"I was going to look at that fairy tale book you gave me."

"You were? Why don't you go and see what your cousins are doing and see whether they would like to play a game with you?"

Harry shook his head at that idea. There was no way that was happening in a million years. "I kind of just want to stay in my room. For right now."

"Alright Harry, but you have to promise me to at least try to get to know your relatives this week."

"I promise."

"Good. Now go and read your book; slowly now."

Harry sighed in relief that his daddy was not going to try to push that issue just now. "I will. I miss you daddy, and I love you."

"I miss and love you too Harry."

Harry closed his book and carefully walked over to his bed where he had placed the story book on his bedside table. Picking it up gently the boy carefully lowered himself onto the bed in a somewhat comfortable spot and opend up the book. He really hoped that week would soon get better. He really did not want to feel that belt on his back again that was for sure.


	24. Healing

Thank you everybody for reviewing! I've never had so many reviews and I have to admit it made my chest swell with pride! I mean I knew people were reading my story, but I've never heard so many opinions about one chapter before. I have to say it shaped this next chapter a bit differently than what I had planned.

I also really want to thank my wonderful, awesome beta Lady DestinyHope. She is amazing!

Just to a little warning about this chapter the first part does contain a bit more abuse, but I promise it gets better as Don comes on the scene.

I do have to say one thing though. I received many comments on how Don should have known that Harry was going to be hurt right away and should have pulled him from the home. As much as I would like things to be that's simple, they are not. I am trying to make this story as close to the real world as possible (magic beside) and in the real world a doctor or social worker when someone higher up orders something to be done they have to do it, even if they get a bad feeling or don't want to. It's a bad situation, but that's how it is.

Also, while Don is a healer who can sense what his patent is feeling he cannot do so when not sitting in front of the person. When he does sense something is wrong, it has much more to do with his Healer training in reading people's actions or listening to their words than magic. Magic can only do so much and work so far.

WL Chastain - That was not my intent, but I'm sorry if I took Don out of character in any way, shape of form.

lc1831- Monitoring charms are wonderful, but as I said magic has it's limitations. Even in a magical world I can't see a monitoring charm being able to last across countries. :)

LunaBeth203 - Breathe, everything will be ok soon. I promise!

GGGEEEEEZ- As I said above, sometimes people don't have a choice in these situations.

Joanne Brandon - Thank you! I will definitely keep you posted! :)

DesirePassion - Thank you very much! I understand where you are coming from and agree with you about Harry and Severus learning how to deal with negative emotions on their own, but to a certain point. As you pointed out Severus was a double agent and I believe that is the main reason Don is there to calm him. Severus had to learn how to hide his emotions and what he shows is only really ten percent of what he feels. Because of that when what we see seems to be mere concern or worry, to Severus he _is_ on the edge of a panic attack. Also, when Severus was a spy his main concern was for keeping himself safe, since Harry is in his life. His worry and concern have changed. Worrying and being concerned about someone else, especially your child, is so much stronger than being concerned about your own welfare.

Ok, I'm done with my rambling! On with the story!

* * *

><p>Severus was not a happy man at this very moment. After Harry had written to him last, he could not quiet his mind. He knew there was something wrong with his child. He just knew it, call it a father's instinct. It was the way Harry had tried to avoid telling him what he had for lunch that really bothered him. He knew the child had been lying to him. It was like a sixth sense, he could always tell when a child lied to him, especially his own. He supposed that was why children really found him so scary. He could always weasel out the truth without doing much more than giving them that look.<p>

Getting up from the seat behind his desk, Severus began to pace the room with his hands behind his back. It had been a long day, his child had been taken from him, and if that wasn't enough then all this madness had happened. Worry was quickly becoming his middle name.

As he continued to pace the room, Severus heard the floo go off in the other room. He knew it was Don coming to check up on him so he didn't bother going to greet the man. After his conversation with Harry, he had called Don right away. He really hoped the Healer could do something to ease this worry that was threatening to make his heart beat right out of his chest. Merlin, when had he become Molly Weasley?

When Don came in the room Severus looked up at the man, but kept pacing back and forth. He was agitated, and he had to do something to keep his body moving. It had taken too long for Severus's taste for Don to get here.

"There is something wrong. I know there is something wrong with Harry." He spoke immediately, not bothering to greet the man.

Don came over and placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder causing the man to stop walking back and forth.

"Did he say anything to you Severus? Anything to indicate that he was hurt in anyway?"

Severus looked up at Don and shook his head. "Not in so many words, but it was rather clear to me that had nothing to eat since breakfast. He said he had lunch, but I can tell he was lying to me."

With a concerned look, Don looked the worried man up and down. "May I see what he wrote to you?"

Severus nodded and went over to grab the book and turned to the page where Harry had shed his tears. Quietly he handed the book to Don and really hoped that this would be enough to convince the Healer that something was wrong.

"Look,**" **he pointed.

The Healer read the few pages that Harry had written in, but then closed the book and placed it gently on the table beside the couch. Sighing Don gave Severus a sad look.

"I can't legally do anything. If he had said anything was wrong or called me I could go and take him, but until he does so I can't really do anything more than check on him. Already, they are bending the rules for me to go and see him."

Severus looked at the Healer ,hopefully. Before this day, he had thought he was above begging, but for his child, he would do anything. "Could you check on him then? Please? Make sure he is alright."

"I was going to check on him in the morning, but I could go back tonight without raising too much suspicion as if he had forgotten something."

The Potion Master's eyes brightened immediately, and he raced to Harry's room to grab the toy Harry had left behind. When they were packing, Harry had said that he had only wanted to take his small toy to save room. Severus knew though that the while boy liked the lion, he had never really attached to it the way he had his stuffed cat. Right now, he was thankful Harry had left it behind.

Picking up the lion from the boy's bed, Severus raced back out of the room and gave the animal to the Healer. "Could you give this to Harry? He forgot it and he can't sleep without it."

A white lie, but for right now Severus's didn't care. If this would get Don to check on his child then he would live with the small lie.

Don nodded seriously getting what Severus was doing. "I guess I will just have to deliver this to him then before he goes to bed tonight."

Severus gave a small smile and let out a breath of relief. He really hoped that Harry was fine and enjoying his time with his cousins, but if he wasn't he knew Don would take him out of there. "Thank you. You will bring him back home if something is wrong?"

Sighing just a bit Don shook his head. "I want to bring him here, but I don't know whether that will affect the adoption since he is supposed to be spending a week away from you. I will take him to The Clinic if he is hurt since that is a neutral place. It is a place of healing and the Ministry cannot touch him there."

"Can I see him when he's there?"

Don came over and placed a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "Not until the Ministry says so. I don't want anything else to hold up the adoption. Harry needs you and you need him."

Severus deflated visibly before his eyes and heaved a deep breath. "I can't see him."

Giving the man's shoulder a gentle squeeze Don shook his head. "Not yet Severus, not yet."

With another sigh Severus slumped down into the chair that was conveniently behind him. Looking up Severus gave the Healer a hopeful look.

"Tell Harry I love him."

"I will Severus. I should go see him now. It's after dinner, and it should be near his bedtime. Do you want me to call Albus before I leave so that he can stay with you?"

Looking down into his lap, Severus nodded.

Coming over Don softly squeezed Severus's hands. "I'll be right back then."

Walking over to the floo, Don quickly called Albus and asked him to come watch Severus. It was obvious how agitated and stressed Severus was, and Don didn't particularly want to leave him alone in that state. Severus was a spy after all and Don knew that what he showed on the surface was only ten percent of what the man was actually feeling.

In the next moment Albus stepped through. With a quick nod to Don, the Headmaster went over to Severus's side and sat down in the chair across from him. With a gentle hand on Severus's knee Albus looked up and gave a grateful nod to the Healer.

Don nodded back and walked over to the fireplace with the stuffed Lion in his hand. When the green flames turned back to orange Severus leaned forward and rested his head in his hands. Slowly the tears started to flow while Albus transfigured the chair into a couch and sat next to the man. Without any words, Albus just drew the man close to his body and let him sob himself out.

Severus missed his boy so much and he knew in his heart that something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

* * *

><p>Harry lay on the floor in the corner curled up in a ball trying to get some kind of sleep. He couldn't believe how much he hurt- he hadn't hurt this much since the last time Uncle Vernon had given him a beating, but this was different. His heart was hurting as well. He couldn't help it, he felt betrayed although deep down he knew he could call for help whenever he wanted. Ignoring that train of thought and with a small shudder he thought back to just how he had gotten here in the first place.<p>

After just a few minutes of reading a fairy tale out of the book Severus had given him, Harry had nodded off to sleep again. For some reason he was really tired and just could not help, but close his eyes and drift off.

He was awoken though by a hard kick from a boot in his chest as he was ripped from his bed and thrown to the floor. Opening his eyes Harry realized that he had been screaming from a nightmare he could not remember, but in truth he was waking to a very real one. Again, he covered his head with his arms and pulled his knees up to protect his sensitive stomach.

"Look at what you did, you dirty little runt! You ruined my good sheets with your filth! You're no better than a dog! I'll send my husband in right away to teach you your place, you filthy little animal. I don't know why the hell we agreed to take in the first place!"

As Harry heard the door slam close he quickly got up ignoring all the hurt he was feeling and moved to the corner; self preservation was taking over. He knew that these people had the advantage here. They could use magic, even though they had yet to do so, and he could not, plus they were much bigger than him. He knew there was no chance of escape, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He curled up in the corner with one side pressed up against the wall, his arms protecting his head and his knees protecting his stomach.

Fortunately for Harry he had made the right move in moving to protect himself so quickly for the door burst open, and Mark stood there with his belt in hand. As the man came closer he not only started yelling at Harry, but his boot connected hard with Harry's side, and the boy heard a sharp crack. Yelping ever so slightly at the broken rib Harry braced himself for what he knew was coming.

"How dare you ruin our sheets with your disgusting urine! If it takes all night I will teach you not to ruin nice things that are beneath you!"

Mark Diaz began wielding his belt at full force to a flinching Harry. The boy did all he could to not cry out, but the man became frustrated after ten minutes of not receiving a sound and kicked the boy hard in the ribs again. Surprised at the new sudden pain Harry cried out making his cousin laugh out loud.

"There we go, cry like the animal you are!"

Silently tears cascaded down the boy's face as the belt cracked down even harder onto his back. He hurt so much, and he wanted to be home with his daddy. Home. It was warm and comfortable there, and he didn't have to fear that he would be hurt all the time.

But, then his daddy and Don had sent him here. Well, he knew that the Ministry had made him come here, but he couldn't help, but feel a little betrayed. His daddy had said he would never be hurt like this again.

Finally after many long minutes of the belt raining down on Harry's innocent back the pain stopped being built upon. Panting Mark stepped back from the bleeding and broken boy. He then drew his wand and pointed it at Harry.

_"Crucio!"_

Harry withered on the floor in pain as the spell hit him. Screaming out in agony Harry's tears increased. He had never experienced this kind of pain before, and he could not believe just how much every bone and muscle hurt in his body.

Two more times that spell hit Harry full force. When Mark had exhausted himself completely he put his wand back in his sleeve and stepped back even more towards the door.

"You're just lucky I'm tired. I'll be back to finish your lesson later, you hear me?"

Harry gave a small nod remembering the last time he had not answered right away. Seemingly the man was satisfied for he threw down his bloody belt he was still holding and left the room slamming the door on the way out.

Knowing he was alone again Harry carefully leaned against the walls and began to check over his wounds. His back was raw and his shirt was covered in blood, he had a broken rib and his pants were wet from having another accident. It seemed that while that spell had not left physical scars like the belt had he was shaking all over.

Carefully, with a hand bracing the wall Harry stood up shaking violently and started limping over to change into fresh clothing. He hated the dirty; sticky feeling he had right now. If only he could have a shower or be healed. At that last thought Harry closed his eyes. He knew he could call Don for help, but he was just so….ashamed.

Sighing Harry slowly stripped down to his shorts and put on new clothing. He hated ruining the new clothes Severus had gotten him, but he just could not stand staying in the same bloodied clothing.

When he was finished changing Harry slowly limped back to his corner and curled back into a ball. He wanted to take a small nap, but he didn't want to be caught off guard so he figured he would just be prepared in case his cousin came back. Every time his Uncle had caught him while he wasn't paying attention, it had been so much worse. He did _not_ want to find out just how much worse it got here.

Closing his eyes Harry awoke again a little while later, but this time it was to a gentle shake of the shoulder instead of a harsh kick to his ribs. Confused he looked up through the arm that was protecting his face.

"Harry?"

The boy opened his eyes a little bit more, but shrank back from the hand. He was _not _taking his chances this time. Even though it sounded like the kind Healer, he had been hurt too much in the last few hours to really trust what he thought was real and what was not.

"Harry? What's wrong child?"

Don was worried. When he had come in Harry's room, he had found the boy on the floor in the corner of the room shaking violently. Besides, the shaking which could just mean he was cold, he looked alright, and sleeping peacefully, but the clothes he saw by the dresser spoke differently.

Then when the boy had opened his eyes, he could see how glassy there were. As if he were not really here in the present and reliving something that had happened. Worriedly he gently set a hand on the boy's shoulder, but Harry had flinched back as if being prepared to be hurt. The shaking was now getting worse, and Don was becoming concerned.

Ministry be damned he was taking the boy to The Clinic right now, he needed medical help right away. Obviously, something had happened and by the sight of the bloodied belt by Harry and the clothing in the corner he knew what had happened or at least some of what had taken place.

Sadness and pain laced Don's voice as he tried to reach Harry, trying not to let his emotions show through his voice. "Harry, It's Don. I've come to take you to The Clinic."

Harry looked over at Don from behind his arm that was protecting his face again and this time he saw the Healer for who he really was. Relief and worry flowed through his body. Relief, because he knew he was now rescued from more pain, but worry because he didn't know what the Healer or his daddy would say to him once he was healed. They had both told him to use his pendent to call if he was hurt, and he hadn't. Would they be mad at him for not calling sooner?

Unbeknownst to Harry he was working himself up into a panic attack. The Healer saw the boy's struggle to breath so he gently, careful of whatever wounds the boy had Don scooped the shaking boy up into his arms.

"Breathe Harry. I've got you now, you're safe. Come now Harry, I need you to breathe. Can you do that for me?"

Slowly Harry was able to catch his breath as he melted into the Healer's arms. He was safe. The tears then came as Harry really realized who was holding him. Wrapping his arms around the Healer Harry clung to the man still shaking from that curse.

"I want my daddy! Please, I want my daddy!"

Carefully Don stood up and cast a small weight altering spell on Harry so he could carry him more easily.

"I know, I know, child. Let me get you back to the Clinic and all healed and then I'll see whether I can make it so your daddy can come see you."

Harry nodded still crying and shaking into Don's robes.

Sighing slightly, Don rose his wand again to gather all of Harry's things except for the ravaged ripped clothing and the belt in the corner. He had to leave them here for evidence. For extra precautions, He cast a quick spell on the room so that no one could remove or change anything within it. In just a matter of a few moments, all of Harry's things were packed except for a small toy that had come floating in from downstairs.

Although Don was curious, now was not the time though to ask why Harry had abandoned his beloved stuffed cat. When the cat floated to his hand Don looked down and handed it to the still crying and shaking boy in his arms hoping that it would bring him some sort of comfort. Harry reached out and grabbed the small toy as if his life depended on it and clutched it close to his chest.

Shrinking the two small bags Don placed them in his pocket and set off downstairs to not only get Harry to safety, but to make sure those people would stay where he could sick the Aurors on them. How dare they hurt a child who had seen too much hurt already! It made his blood boil just thinking about it.

Coming down the stairs Don saw the two in question sitting on a couch. Before either of them could move or pick up their wand, Don cast a stunner on them that would last until an Auror freed them. He would not let those two get away. Especially, not until Harry had been avenged.

"You two are lucky I have my Healer's oath preventing me to do any harm. Otherwise, you both would be withering in pain at this moment. Prepare yourselves, the Aurors will be here soon." Though he knew that they couldn't hear him, it gave him some small measure of satisfaction.

With that Don walked out the front door wrapping Harry in his cloak to prevent him from getting a chill. Quickly he walked to the pub and flooed to The Clinic, holding a very hurt Harry.

When they reached, the front desk at the Clinic Don walked to the receptionist keeping Harry covered as much as he could. The boy was still shaking so much, but by now he knew it was not just from cold. There was something more and just thinking of that made his stomach sick. How could anyone do this to a defenseless child?

"Could I have a room please?"

The receptionist looked down at her books and skimmed through the pages.

"It looks as though we're booked at the moment. We have a shared room opening up in a few hours though..."

Don shook his head. "There must be something now. Harry here is quite hurt."

The woman looked up and just then noticed the shaking bundle Don was carrying. Again, the woman looked back down, now realizing the man's emergency.

"It looks like there is a bed open in the emergency ward. You can treat him there until a private room opens up in the children's ward."

Don nodded, relieved. Hoisting Harry further up on his hip so that he had a better grip on him, he wrapped an arm around the child, and placed a gentle hand on the back of the still crying boy's head.

"What bed is open?"

"189 in the left wing."

Don nodded and moved away from the desk and towards the bed in the emergency ward. Reaching his destination, he sat down on the edge with Harry still in his arms. Gently he unwrapped Harry from his cloak while he rested him tenderly so that he could look at the boy.

When Don could see the teary eyes, he brushed back the messy hair.

"Is it alright if I set you down on the bed?"

Harry turned and buried his head in Don's robes still sobbing. That was enough of an answer for him. Harry needed to be healed, but he also needed to he held close. He needed to feel loved.

"Ok Harry. I'm going to call over another Healer to heal you while I hold you, ok?"

Harry nodded his head turning ever so slightly so that his entire face was covered by Don's robes. With Don's free hand, he caught the attention of an emergency healer and beckoned him over.

"Would you mind helping me heal Harry here while I keep him calm?"

"Not at all. Just how was this young man injured?"

Don sent the man a sad look and mouthed the words he didn't want Harry to head. "His relatives."

The emergency Healer's face darkened a moment before he nodded and looked down at the poor child with sympathy.

"Alright then, let's just take off the shirt and see what's going on."

Don held up a hand to stop him. "Could he have an Anti-Cruciatus potion first."

The emergency Healer's eyes widened a bit, but he took a deep breath and nodded. Slowly he walked away and grabbed the potion Don had asked for. Coming back he pulled up a stool and sat down in front of the two on the bed. Uncorking the bottle he placed a gentle hand on Harry's back to gain his attention.

"Harry, can you please take this potion for me? It will help with the shaking and remove some of the pain."

The boy nodded, but made no move to turn his face from Don's robes. Gently Don pulled Harry's face back a little and took the potion from the other Healer.

"Open your mouth Harry. This will taste bad, but you need to take it."

Harry opened his mouth and allowed the Healer to pour the potion down his throat. A few times he sputtered when his crying made his breath hitch, but eventually the whole potion was downed and the shaking slowly stopped.

Handing the vial back to the other Healer, Don gently placed his hand on the back of Harry's head drawing it to gently rest on his shoulder, nestled in his robes.

"That's it Harry, such a good boy."

The other Healer gently reached out again and rested a gentle hand on Harry's back. "Are you ready for me to take your shirt off now?"

Slowly Harry gave a small nod. So carefully the Healer tried to remove the shirt the normal way, but he really didn't want to hurt the child any more than he already was so he pulled out some fabric scissors to cut it off.

"We can mend this afterward if you want Harry, but for right now it has to be cut, alright?"

Harry was too distraught to really answer anyone so he just buried his head a little deeper into his source of comfort and twisted his hands in the soft fabric beneath him.

Sharing a look with the emergency Healer Don brought a hand up and rested it on the back of Harry's head and gently began to stroke the soft, messy hair to try to comfort him at least a little. At the moment Don was just grateful the shaking had stopped.

Gently the emergency Healer began to cut away at Harry's shirt and what he saw beneath made him take in a sharp breath. No wonder the kid was crying his eyes out. How could anyone do that to a child?

When the shirt was removed completely, the Healer got up from the stool he had pulled up in front of the bed to grab what he needed to heal the boy and other things he thought he might need later. He had a sneaking suspicion that what was on the boy's back was not all the troubling the boy.

Coming back to Don and Harry, the emergency Healer first pulled the curtains around the bed to give the boy come privacy and then set all the creams and potions down on the bedside table. Then opening up a jar of disinfectant cream the Healer took out a small glob and began to gently smooth it over the boy's back.

At first, touch Harry went ridged and tried to move out of the Healer's way. It didn't hurt, sure it stung a little, but after what had just happened he didn't really want to be touch by anyone just there. Don tenderly kept his arms gently wrapped around the boy to keep him in place and whispered soothing words into his ear.

Slowly the boy relaxed again in Don's arms that is until the other Healer started to touch him again. Gently Don pulled the boy back just so that he could look Harry in the eyes.

"I know this stings a little Harry, but can you be brave for me? Just for a little while?"

Hesitantly the boy gave a small nod, but choked out a few soft words though his tears.

"I...I do…don't know if I…I can."

Don shot a look at the emergency Healer who gave a slight nod and moved over to pick up a potion he had set down earlier. It was better to heal someone without putting too much magic in their systems when you didn't really know what lay beneath, but it was obvious Harry needed something to relieve some pain.

"How about a pain relief potion to help? It will make you a bit drowsy and make you feel a little funny, but it will make the pain go away."

Harry gave a small nod so Don took the potion from the other Healer and gently put it up against Harry's mouth. With just a few small gulps, Harry drained the vial and with just a few more sobs and tears Harry's eyes closed.

Concerned Don first put his hand over Harry's nose and mouth to make sure he was still breathing and when he was reassured he checked the boy's pulse just to make sure that was there as well. Sure the potion might have made Harry a little sleepy, but for it to put him to sleep he must have been though much more than he had imagined.

Looking up at the other Healer Don gave a small sad smile. "It looks like Harry was more tired than I thought. Thank you for all your help."

The emergency Healer nodded. "I am happy to help. May I ask what really happened?"

Agin Don looked down at the boy in his arms. "It's rather complicated, but the Ministry wanted him to stay with his cousins and needless to say it did not go well."

Picking the jar of disinfectant cream back up, the emergency Healer resumed tenderly rubbing it all over the boy's back. "That seems to be an understatement."

Carefully Don conjured up a wet washcloth and began to clean the boy's face from all the tears he had shed. "It is. I had a bad feeling as I was leaving him there, but I told myself that he would be fine until the morning. It was only a few hours and I thought he had begun to trust us enough to tell us whether something was the matter. I am just glad that Severus could tell something was wrong when he talked with him and made me go check on him."

As Don was cleaning Harry's, face up the other Healer was opening the healing balm and applying it to the still fresh welts on Harry's back. "I may not know the whole story here, but from what I know you cannot blame yourself for this. How were you supposed to know without a doubt that those people were going to hurt him? You and I both know that's the only way you would have been able to stay or take him from that home."

Don sighed as he banished the cloth. "Still I should have done more to make sure he was safe."

Frowning, the emergency Healer placed down the jar of healing balm. "From what I know it sounds as if you did everything you could. You gave him a way to talk with someone he knows and if I am not mistaken that is a summoning charm around his neck. He could have summoned you at anytime or told that person what happened. You cannot blame yourself, when the Ministry or Social Services are involved; our hands become tied to just how much we can do."

Don nodded and sighed. "I guess you are right."

"Of course, I am. Now can you help me remove his trousers?"

With a small nod from Don he started unzipping the front of the boy's pants and tugging them down. When they were as far as Don could get them without dropping Harry the other Healer continued gently tugging them down to his ankles and then off. The emergency Healer summoned a hospital gown and began to gently put it on the boy with Don's help.

When the gown was on, the emergency Healer tugged Harry's shorts down to just below where; the wounds stopped. Gently the Healer started the process all over first, disinfecting the welts, and then gently healing them with the healing balm. When he was finished, he tugged the boy's shorts back up to their proper place and closed the gown as much as it would allow.

With his task done for the moment he looked up at Don. "Why don't you lay him on the bed so we can see whether he has any other injuries."

Sighing Don nodded and got up slowly. From sitting all that time with Harry's weight on top of him he was stiff and aching, but he ignored the feeling, instead focusing on Harry. Gently he laid the boy down on the bed and noticed almost instantly that Harry had a couple of broken ribs. It was disturbingly easy to see his ribs though the gown he was wearing even with all the weight he had put on over the last week.

Turning slightly to the other Healer Don gave him a small sad smile. "Again, thank you for all your help, but I can take it from here."

Nodding the emergency Healer rested a gentle hand on Don's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Alright then, if you need anything else I'm here until midnight."

Don gave a small nod. "Thank you."

With, that the emergency Healer opened the curtains and closed them again when he was outside the privacy shield. When the man was gone, Don turned back to Harry and pulled out his wand.

Wordlessly he cast a diagnostic spell and watched as the results were written down on a piece of paper by a floating quill. When the quill stopped writing the man grabbed the paper out of the air and began to read.

It seemed that Harry had the two broken ribs he could see, but the boy had also slammed his elbow into something hard and had bruised the bone. What disturbed him though was the small internal bleed he had around the side of his spleen. It was easy to fix, but still that would account to how tired the boy seemed. Bleeding like that took a lot out of you and made you very tired.

Gathering some of the things that the emergency Healer had placed on the bedside table Don set to work healing the poor boy.

He would rather Harry be awake while he healed Harry's ribs, not to cause him pain, but to reassure himself that while healing the boy that he didn't nick his lung or something else. Magic helps and can tell you just about everything about the human body, but still misses things that the naked eye and a physical exam can tell.

Sighing Don cast another diagnostic spell to make sure he hadn't hurt anything while healing the boy's ribs. When he was satisfied that he had not, he grabbed one of the potions by the bed and spelled it directly into Harry's stomach so that it would take effect immediately. He wanted to stop the internal bleeding as soon as possible.

When Don finished healing Harry he picked up the last two potions by the bed and carefully spelled the Blood Replenisher and Dreamless Sleep potions into the boy.

Harry needed to sleep after all this healing, but he didn't want the poor boy to have any nightmares. After the last potion was in Harry's stomach, Don set the vials back down he carefully tucked the boy under the covers making sure his small black cat was tucked in next to the child.

Placing a small monitoring charm on Harry, Don quietly left the privacy curtains. He really wished that he could have done that when Harry was staying at his cousins, but the one disadvantage of the spell was that it was only active for a certain distance. Meaning that once out of a certain range the spell was no longer affective. Making it impossible to monitor someone who was in a different country.

Deciding that it did not good to dwell on something he could not change, Don walked over to the floo that was off in the corner of the room. First, he had to call Severus and reassure him that Harry was now safe and then he had to contact Harry's social worker and the Aurors to collect those wretched people.

Sighing Don knelt down before the fire and threw in the green powder. Calling out Severus's name he was glad that when Severus answered he saw Albus in the background. He was glad that Albus was still sitting with the man; he needed as much comfort as he could get.

"Hi Severus."

Severus worriedly searched the Healer's face for any signs that something was wrong.

"How is Harry?"

Don gave the man a sad smile. "He is sleeping comfortably here at The Clinic."

"He was hurt? I'm coming through! I need to see him!"

The Healer saw Albus come up and place a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder stopping him from jumping up and coming to see Harry. Severus turned his head and saw him arguing with Albus, but he could not hear what they were saying as they were not facing the fireplace. After a few more words, Severus turned back to Don looking defeated with his head to his chest.

"What happened to him?"

Knowing Albus had just stopped the man from coming here because it might interfere with the adoption Don gave Severus an understanding look. "It appears he wet the bed when he had a nightmare. I am assuming that the man, Mark I believe his name is, thought that he could cure Harry by punishing him with his belt. I don't know what else happened, but I found Harry crying and shaking violently in the corner of the room on the floor." He had also been Cruico-ed, but Don didn't want to upset Severus more than necessary at the moment. When both father and son were united, he could disclose the true details.

Severus paused and took a deep breath. "I...I thought that they just had not given him anything to eat...they hurt him?"

Don sadly nodded. "They did. Are you ok there with Albus? I have to call the Aurors and have them arrested."

"I'm fine. Please call me when I can see Harry." A pleading look entered Severus's eyes, and the Healer could tell that it was taking everything in Severus to not jump up right now and run to Harry's side.

Nodding Don gave Severus a reassuring look. "I will Severus. Don't worry as soon as Madam Lark says it is ok I will call you."

With another small nod from Severus Don ended the call and threw more powder into the flames so that he could inform Madam Lark what had happened.

When her head appeared in the fireplace Don gave her the same sad smile, he had given Severus.

"Don? What can I do for you?"

The Healer sighed and launched into everything that had happened. When he was finished explaining the situation, the woman nodded sadly. "Step back, let me come through, and see the poor thing."

Don nodded and did as the woman said. As soon as he did Madam Lark stepped though, and landed gracefully in front of Don.

"Where is he?"

"He's sleeping just over there. Would you like my pensive memories to see what happened?"

The woman nodded her head. "Not now, but eventually I will have to see them."

The Healer nodded. "I need to ask. Can Severus come see Harry and stay with him? I was not sure if he was allowed to visit Harry or not. I know he was barred from seeing Harry when he was at his cousins."

Giving Don a sad look she shook her head. "Not just yet. First, we have to have those people arrested and then I have to head back to the office and see what the procedures are in this situation. I don't want to do something that could jeopardize the adoption."

Don nodded. "Why don't you sit with Harry while I contact the Aurors. He was understandably upset when I picked him up, and I am sure when he wakes he will still be distraught. He was once again hurt by those who were supposed to love him."

The social worker closed her eyes for a moment and nodded. "It really is a miracle that he is still such a sweet boy. I wish I hadn't had to bring him to that house. If I could strangle my boss, I would."

Don rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You had no choice. There is no use dwelling on what cannot be changed now, just focus what can be done from here on out."

Nodding she began to stride forward with Don gently guiding her to where Harry was sleeping. When they reached the curtains, Don opened them and left when he saw the social worker sit in the chair next to Harry's bed.

Now came the part he was dreading: contacting the Aurors.

Walking back to the fireplace Don threw in the powder and asked for the one Auror he knew would take these awful people to justice-Alastor Moody. When the man answered Don he gave the Healer a skeptical look.

"What do you want sunny? I sure hope you don't want to try shrinking my head again. You know how well that worked last time."

Moody's magical eye rolled back and forth scanning the Healer.

Shaking his head Don let out a sigh. "No, I am actually contacting you on more of a professional note. Something has happened."

Narrowing his good eye Moody nodded. "It must be something for you to contact me. What has your knickers in a twist?"

Don let out a small sigh and started to explain everything that had happened in the last few days. As he told the story the old Auror looked at Don with a narrowed eye, his face set in stone. The Healer knew how much Moody hated child abusers and he would do everything in his power to take these people down.

"They are in their living room, stunned?"

Nodding the Healer gave a grateful look at Moody. "Yes, and thank you."

Stiffly the Auror nodded. "It's my pleasure taking out trash like that. It won't be my fault either if they become a little roughed up on their way to the cage either."

Normally, Don might scold Alastor for his harshness, but those people did deserve whatever Moody had in store for them.

"Well, still thank you."

Alastor just nodded his head and ended the floo call. He had a lot of work ahead of him, and he had a sneaking suspicion he was going to enjoy it.

As the Auror ended the call Don stood up from where he was kneeling and turned to walk back over to where Harry and his social worker were. Reaching the curtain he pulled it back and gave a sad smile when he saw the woman sitting on the edge of the bed with a hand onto of Harry's.

When he entered she turned her head slightly to acknowledge him, but then turned back to Harry and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Are the Aurors on their way to pick those people up?"

"Yes, I set Alastor Moody on them."

Turning her head again she looked at the Healer and smiled. "You set_ him _on them? They're going to be worse for wear when they are finally brought in. Serves them right."

Don arched an eyebrow. "Well, this isn't a side of you I've seen before."

Turning back to look at Harry the social worker sighed. "I hate people who hurt children; they are the lowest sort of people. I just don't understand how you could ever hurt someone so small and innocent."

Sighing Don came closer and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I know how you feel, but we can't just focus on the people who did this. We have to focus on the victim and how to heal them."

"I know, it's hard to see children so broken. I can see you have everything under control here. I should go and talk with my boss to see if Severus can come and see Harry."

Don nodded and let the woman stand up from the bed. Before she left the privacy curtains, she turned and shot a grateful look at Don.

"You are a wonderful Healer and friend to Harry. Thank you so much for seeing what I missed. I guess I was too hopeful that it would work out that I ignored the signs."

Don just nodded. "It happens to the best of us."

With another nod, the woman left the curtains leaving Don alone with Harry. The Healer sat down where the social worker was just moments before and picked Harry's hand up to rest in his.

"If only she knew how much I blame myself for your pain. I really am sorry Harry."


	25. Reunited

**Hello everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and thank you again Lady DestinyHope for your amazing betaing skills!**

**Joanne Brandon - No need apologizing fo not reviewing as soon as I posted! I know I sometimes posts a weird hours. :)**

**WL Chastain - I guess you will just have to read to find out! ;)**

**DesirePassion - You were not harsh or trollish by any means! I enjoy hearing what other people think! :)  
>I understand what you are saying about being raised by a single parent as I was raised by one as well. I do agree with you that a single parent provided me with everything I could want or need, but I think the people who want to see Severus find that special someone is more for Severus's benefit and happiness. Being a single parent is hard and not only financially(because you only have one salary instead of two), but because all the responsibility of taking care or the child falls to just you. You work a job all day and then coming home to do homework with them, preparing all the meals, cleaning the house, getting them ready for bed, dealing with discipline, waking up in the middle of the night and then you don't have any time for your own wants of needs. In Severus's case things are a bit different because he has Don and Albus there anytime he needs them and he has use of magic, but most single parents aren't lucky enough to have that kind of support system or magic to clean the house. <strong>

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><p>Just an hour later, a nurse pulled back the privacy curtain and smiled gently at the Healer who was still sitting on the side of Harry's bed. It was obvious just how dedicated Don was to his patient and how much he really cared. Lately, it seemed that there were fewer and fewer Healers like Don and if the nurse was honest, it was refreshing to see someone who cared so much.<p>

Coming a bit closer, the nurse placed a gentle hand on Don's shoulder to grab his attention. She didn't want to startle him after all.

"We have a room open in the children's ward, if you would like to move Harry there."

The Healer nodded, still looking at the sleeping boy. "Thank you, what room?"

"It's the first room when you enter the ward, I thought I could show you the way there and make sure Harry gets settled in."

What she didn't say was she wanted to make sure he was ok as well. Caring for your patients so much did have it's bad points, such as blaming yourself when they were hurt. She had seen it before when Don had been in here before with Severus. The poor man had convinced himself that he should have stopped Severus from going to that meeting, but really what could he have done against an insistent Headmaster and a stubborn man?

Turning his head to look at the nurse he let out a small sigh. He had recognized her voice immediately as Pam's best friend. "Pam sent you to make sure I'm alright?"

Smiling, she nodded. "She would be here herself, but she said she wanted to give you some space after last night."

Don smiled his first real smile all day as he shook his head in amusement as he remembered just how Pam had fallen on her bottom at the ice skating rink last night. Soon, after he had helped her up to her feet she had blushed fiercely and had fled the scene saying her goodbyes as she hurried away.

"What she means to say is that she's too embarrassed to see me, but she is still concerned and is wondering if I am alright. You can report to her that I am fine."

Raising an eyebrow the nurse looked skeptically at the Healer. "And just why would she be embarrassed?"

"Now , I don't want to spill and embarrass her further. I'm sure she would have told you if she wanted you to know. I will tell you though, that it had to do something with our date at the ice skating rink last night."

The nurse nodded with a small curious glint in her eye. When she saw Pam after this, she would have to pry it out of her. "Let's get Harry to his room then and maybe you can tell me there."

Don just got up from the bed ignoring the nurse's last comment and scooped Harry gently up into his arms making sure the blankets were wrapped comfortably around him. It would do no good for Harry to catch a chill, after all he was just wearing a hospital gown.

As he picked, Harry up, the boy unconsciously leaned into the warmth of his body and rested his head close to the man's heart making Don smile.

Smiling down at Harry, Don hoisted the boy up a bit higher and cast a weight altering spell so that he could carry the little boy more comfortably.

"Do you have everything?"

The Healer looked over at the nurse and nodded. "I still have his bags in my pocket. I hate to admit it, but with everything happening, I forgot they were still shrunk."

Smiling, the nurse nodded. "Come on then, let's get Harry somewhere more comfortable."

Don nodded back, and followed the nurse who had begun to walk out of the emergency ward. Walking down the hall to the staircase, Don could not help but watch the sleeping boy resting on his chest. It was amazing just how peaceful the boy looked while he was sleeping especially after the hurtful ordeal he had been through.

Sighing. Don adverted his gaze from the small boy to where he was walking. After all, it really would do no good to trip over his own feet and make both of them fall flat on the floor. He knew if that happened he would be hearing from Severus, and honestly he did not want to see that scowling look on Severus's face.

As they reached the staircase, Don shook that thought from his head as the nurse opened the door so that they could walk up the two flights of stairs to the children's ward. When they reached the ward the two walked down the hall to the room the nurse had set aside for them.

Walking into the room, Don looked around and saw the single bed placed near the window facing the garden and several chairs scattered around the room. Smiling at the room he knew Harry was going to love, he walked over to the bed and gently set the boy down beneath the covers taking off the blankets from the other bed as he did and folding them up neatly to place on the bedside table. When Don started to move away from Harry to sit in his own chair though Harry's hand reached out and clutched tighter on the front of the Healer's robes.

Don tried to make Harry release his clothing to no avail so he just sat on the edge of the bed, letting Harry continue to clutch onto his robes.

"It's ok, Harry; I'm not leaving. I'm right here, little one."

The nurse came up behind Don and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

The Healer gave a small nod, but because of Harry's tight grip he could not turn to look at her. "If anyone comes looking for us in the emergency wing could you tell them where we are?"

"I will. Do you want me to get someone for you? Pam or Quin?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

With one last gentle squeeze of the shoulder, the nurse left to fetch Pam. She didn't care if the man wanted to see her or not, or she didn't want to see him because she was embarrassed. He needed someone there with him. She could tell that like the times before he was blaming himself for Harry being hurt. Men can be so stubborn sometimes, especially Don. Really, the man should listen to his own advice sometimes.

As the nurse left, Don gently placed both hands over the one that was so desperately clinging to his robes and hoped that Harry could hear him.

"You're okay child. You're safe here."

Gently Don rubbed the back of Harry's hand to try to calm him. Slowly Harry's grip loosened, and Don was able to place the limb softly on the bed. Smiling at the boy he reached down to pull the covers up higher so that he would not get cold.

"There we go Harry. You are such a brave boy."

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><p>Twenty minutes passed with Don sitting on the edge of Harry's bed until he heard a quiet knock on the door. Turning he saw it was Pam and he smiled, beckoning her to come in the room.<p>

Entering, the woman sat in the chair next to Harry's bed. "I hear you've been blaming yourself."

Don looked up at the woman, but then looked back down at Harry, soothingly rubbing circles into the back of Harry's hand. "I left him there. How could I not blame myself?"

Pam rose an eyebrow. "And just what were you supposed to do? Take him from the house with only a bad feeling as proof? You and I both know the Ministry would not have allowed that and would have placed Harry right back there."

"I should have checked sooner."

"Don, stop this nonsense. You are not to be blamed for any of this. If you must blame someone, blame the Ministry and those pitiful excuses of human beings."

Don just continued looking down at the boy on the bed, lost in his thoughts. When the Healer didn't respond, Pam got up from her chair and sat in front of Don on the side of Harry's bed. Gently Pam removed Don's hand from Harry's and took the Healer's hand in her own.

"Look at me Don."

The Healer looked at the woman who he loved with tears in his eyes. With a tender hand Pam reached over and placed her hand on his cheek cupping it gently.

"Hey, this is not your fault."

"He was hurt under my watch." Came the broken words.

Pam reached forward and wrapped her arms around Don. "Come here sweetie. This was not _your _fault."

Don closed his eyes and relaxed into Pam's arms as she gently rubbed his back. "Are you going to stop blaming yourself now?"

The Healer nodded gently against Pam's shoulder while wiping away the few tears that had formed with the back of his sleeve. Taking a deep breath he pulled back from the embrace and smiled at Pam.

"Thank you Pam. I…I love you."

Smiling Pam pulled Don back into a hug. "I love you too Don and you have no idea how long I have waited to hear that."

The two sat there holding onto each other for a while until Don pulled back with a smile on his lips.

Pam smiled back and patted him on the hand. "Have you had anything to eat today?"

Smiling the man nodded. "I have. Harry has not though so I thought I would have something with him when he wakes."

"That sounds like a fine idea. Is Severus coming to see Harry?"

Slowly the Healer shook his head. "Not at the moment, no. Madam Lark is at the Ministry trying to pull some strings so Severus can come, but until we get the OK, it could jeopardize the adoption."

"When do you think Harry will wake?"

Don shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really know. He fell asleep when we gave him a pain reliever. I'm assuming the potion was the final straw and that he was exhausted from all the stress. I did give him a dreamless sleep potion, but that should just help keep away the bad dreams."

Pam nodded. "Why don't you rest for a little while then? I'll keep watch of Harry."

Don smiled. "It's ok Pam. I'm ok here with Harry. You should go check on the patient I know you left in your office."

Nodding, Pam stood up. "Are you sure? I can stay if you want me to."

"No, I'll be ok."

Pam gently bent over and placed a kiss on the top of Don's head. "You're a good man Don. If you need anything you know where I am and promise me you won't tell anyone about me falling flat on my butt. You already let enough slip that Mary is begging me to tell her what happened."

Don's smile widened as he shook his head mischievously. "You have my word."

"I sure hope so because if anyone finds out..."

Don nodded knowing that the threat was not just words. If he told anyone he was likely to be Bat Bogey hexed by an irate witch.

Assured that Don was alright and he would not spill her secret, Pam left the room with Don still sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, his chest feeling much lighter.

After Pam left, Don stood, and moved to the seat Pam had vacated knowing his back would thank him later. Quietly he sat there watching Harry for a little more than an hour, both awaiting the social worker to come and tell him what she had found out and for Harry to wake.

After hearing a knock, he looked up to see the one person he was not expecting to see, a somewhat subdued Moody watching him from the doorway. Surprise quickly wore off as he waved the man to come in and take a seat.

Before coming in though, the man held up his hand apparently stopping whoever wanted to come in with him. Don was curious just who it was, but for the moment he decided not to question his old friend. He knew Moody would tell him in good time.

Then in the next moment the Auror came in, in two big strides, pulled up a chair, and sat looking both at the boy on the bed and at the Healer as though he was scanning them with his magical eye. Don suspected that he was just making sure that everything was as it should be with him and Harry.

"So, how is the boy do'ng?"

Don looked over at the old Auror and nodded his head. "He's still asleep, but I believe after everything that happened that is a good thing. His body needs rest."

Moody nodded. "I have some news. Don't know if ya will think it will be good news or not, but it's a new development."

The Healer arched an eyebrow. "I figured that was why you were here. So what is it? Are those people locked up?"

Stealing a quick glance at the doorway Alastor shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, and no. It's complicated."

"What do you mean? They hurt Harry, they should be locked up and have the key thrown away!"

Moody, sensing the Healer's distress, placed a hand on his shoulder gently. Very uncharacteristic or him, but the man did not want the Healer to explode and wake the prone boy on the bed. He assumed that would not be good for anyone, especially him, having an irate Healer on his hands. He knew just how dangerous Don could be if he didn't keep his cool.

"Let me explain, before you get your knickers in a twist laddy. When I went to the house I saw two people stunned as you said, but they were not the people I was expecting. They were two who were on the suspected Death Eater list. After some truth serum, they confessed everything that had happened. Let me just say that they arrived at the Ministry holding cells a little more roughed up than when I took them into custody."

Confused, Don shook his head. "You mean Harry's cousins are Death Eaters?"

The Auror shook his head. "No, no…I'm sorry for not being clearer. You see these Death Eaters Polyjuiced themselves to look like Harry's cousins and then locked the poor couple up in the basement without their wands."

Don slumped back in his chair looking at the ceiling. "So, I left Harry with a couple of Death Eaters? How did this happen? How did they know Harry was supposed to stay with them?"

"There was a leak in the Ministry, and they found out that Harry would be there for a week so they thought they would take the opportunity to punish 'the Boy-Who-Lived' for banishing their Master."

Closing his eyes Don let out a small sigh. "Who was the leak? Do they still wish for Harry to spend a week with them? His real cousins I mean? I am sure he will be terrified seeing them after everything, even if it was not really them."

Moody turned to the doorway and made a small beckoning motion with his hand. "I don't know Don; you should ask them yourself. They came to talk with you and see whether they could try to make some kind of amends to Harry. They did not mean for any of this to happen. About the leak, all I will say is he had long blond hair and has been caught."

Don nodded absently, not really absorbing Moody's last statement and watched the two people who he had thought were stunned earlier that day, come in the room. Slowly they drew up chairs and sat down as Don tried to remember their names. Mark was his name, but he had never heard the lady's.

With a small sigh and worry lines showing, Mark began in a soft voice, very unlike the one he had heard earlier that day. "Is Harry alright?"

"I..I believe he will be fine. I am sorry, but I don't think you should be here when he wakes."

The man gave the Healer an understanding smile. "We understand. If I were him, I would not want to see us either, not after what those detestable people. I still don't understand how those people could prey on a child like that. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil."

Just then the woman spoke up in a much kinder voice than Don expected. For the Healer, it was still hard to imagine these people than anything but the horrible people who hurt children although he now knew that it was not them who had hurt Harry. "I know you are concerned about Harry staying with us for an entire week, but please don't. Obviously now is not the right time. We just wanted to get to know Harry, not stand in the way of the adoption. Please tell, I believe his name is Severus Snape, that he should come see his child; in fact, we insist that he come sit by Harry's side and hold him."

The Healer heaved a small sigh of relief while Moody patted him on the back, rather roughly this time, much more as Don was used to from the man.

"See now, told ya. Now calm down you worrywart or else you'll give me a heart attack watching you worry over your charge."

Don shot a scolding look at Alastor. "I am not a worrywart."

"Sure you're not lad, sure you're not."

Rolling his eyes he averted his gaze from Moody to the couple. "I'm sorry, with everything going on I don't think I properly introduced myself."

With a smile Mark reached out to shake Don's hand. "Don't worry about it. My name is Mark Diaz, and this is my wife Maria."

Don nodded his head. "And as you know I am Healer Don Patterson. Forgive me for not asking you earlier, but are you two all right? Did the Death Eaters injure you?"

Maria smiled at the Healer as Mark let go of his hand. "We are all right. When the Aurors came they brought a Healer with them and she healed our cuts and bruises."

Just then, all four heard a small moan come from the bed where Harry was laying. Moody, knowing that Harry would not wish to see the couple who wished to see him to make sure Harry was alright, cast an invisibility spell on them as not to upset Harry even more.

Quickly, Don got up from his chair and sat on the edge of Harry's bed gently holding the boy's hand.

"Harry, are you awake?"

Harry turned in his bed so that he was facing the wall, and he drew his knees up to his chest. Gently Don rested a hand on Harry's back and watched sadly as the boy flinched away.

"Harry, can you talk to me?"

Sobs started to rack the small body on the bed. "I...I want my daddy!"

Gently Don set a gentle hand on his back this time not pulling away from the violent flinch. Turning slightly he shot a pleading look at Moody who understood and got up from his chair immediately.

"Ok Harry, Alastor just went to go get your daddy. Everything is going to be alright now."

Harry shook his head while he sobbed into his stuffed cat. "N...no it won't!"

Sighing Don pointed his wand at the chair he had just vacated and turned it into a comfortable rocking chair. He knew Harry was too old for this trick, but knew it would calm him ,nevertheless. Then putting away his wand, he gently scooped Harry up into his arms, blankets, and all, and sat down in the newly transfigured rocking chair.

Resting Harry's head on his shoulder he placed a hand on the back of Harry's head and began to softly rock back and forth hoping it would help soothe him.

"Yes, it will Harry; I give you my word."

Just moments before, Harry had been pushing away the Healer, but now he was clinging to him as if his life depended on it. Don knew Harry's emotions were fragile before all this had happened, but now it seemed that this last event was the straw that broke the camel's back. It would now be an even longer road to get Harry back on track. The poor boy had not really recovered from his Aunt and Uncle, and now this!

Harry cried into Don's robes until Severus came busting into the room. Quickly the man made his way over to his crying son and as soon as Harry saw him he leapt from Don's warm arms into Severus's, dropping all the blanket that were surrounding him as he did.

"Daddy!"

Severus held on tightly to Harry and placed a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "Oh, Harry. I'm here now, I'm here."

Don got up from the rocking chair and beckoned Severus to take a seat with Harry. Severus did so, clinging to his crying son while his son did the same to him.

Gently, the man rubbed Harry's back with soothing circles and mumbled words that only the boy could hear.

Knowing that the two would want to be alone for a while Don went out the doorway hearing the low rumble of Severus's voice assuring Harry that everything would be alright. He could not help but hope that both he and Severus were right, and it would be.

Once in the hall Moody took the invisibility spell off the couple so that they could be seen by everyone and not just him and then looked at Don with a slightly concerned expression.

Knowing that Moody was not one to show such emotions, the Healer was touched that the man would show such things for a small boy he had not really even met.

"Will the lad really be alright?"

Don nodded and motioned for them to peek in the doorway where Severus had conjured a warm washcloth and was gently wiping away the tears as Harry snuggled into Severus and resting his head on the man's shoulder.

With a rare smile from the strict Auror, Don gave a small nod. The real Diaz's watched from the doorway as well, cloaked under a Notice-Me-Not spell and smiled gently at the interaction. This truly cemented the fact that they had done the right thing leaving the boy in the man's care. At first, they had been wary of a former Death Eater taking care of their relative, none the less 'the Boy-Who-Lived', but then they had seen the picture book Moody had snagged out of Don's office to convince them that Severus really was a good person.

After a few moments, Mark turned to the Healer. "We should go then. We are going to the Ministry to put in a petition to speed up the adoption. From what we just saw those two belong together and we were hoping that they would take in account the wishes of Harry's last blood relatives."

Don nodded. "Thank you. Before you go though, would you like me to run an exam to make sure you are both well? It wouldn't bode well if they cast a curse on you, and it had latent effects."

Mark looked about to protest that they were alright, but Maria laid a gentle hand on his arm and gave a soft nod. "We should do as he says, dear. We don't want you collapsing all of a sudden."

The man deflated and nodded. "Alright then."

"Good. Let's go find a room then."

Maria again stopped the men. "With they be alright by themselves? I mean I know Harry will be fine with Severus, but will Severus be alright? I know this has been an emotional roller coaster for him too."

The Healer nodded. "Yes, I think that they, at the moment, would actually prefer their privacy."

With no, further protests the four of them set off downstairs to the receptionist to find a room.

* * *

><p>Back in the room, Severus was calming Harry with gentle words and a soothing back rub. When the boy was calm enough to talk Harry clutched tightly onto Severus and held his stuffed cat close to him.<p>

"I missed you so much, Daddy."

Tenderly the man kissed the boy on the forehead. "I missed you too Harry, I've missed you so much."

"I...I'm sorry."

Severus pulled back and looked at the boy confused. "What for Harry?"

Looking down Harry fiddled with the end of his shirt. "I...I was bad...and dirty."

"What are you talking about Harry?"

Harry turned buried his face in Severus's robes too embarrassed to look at Severus. "I...I wet the bed and ruined their sheets. I am such a disgusting little freak; I don't deserve to be loved by anyone!"

Gently Severus pulled Harry back so he could look at the boy in the eyes and carefully wipe away the new tears.

"Nonsense Harry, you are very deserving of my love and by no means are you a "freak", Remember we talked about this. I will love you no matter what. Was wetting the bed their reason for hurting you?"

Harry nodded and tried to bury his head back in Severus's robes, but the man held him back so that he could still look at his child. Inwardly he sighed as he still saw the traces of fear written all over Harry's small face.

"They were wrong Harry. You are not disgusting for wetting the bed, which happens to all little kids sometimes. And they could have just as easily washed the sheets, they were not ruined at all. You did not deserve what they did to you."

Tears were starting to form again in Harry's eyes as his brows shot up in confusion. "T-t-then why?"

"Because they were bad people Harry, bad people who are now in jail because they hurt you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really Harry. I must tell you something though, something I just found out. An Auror named Alastor Moody went back to their home to take your cousins into custody, but they were different people entirely. It seems that they were posing as your cousins while your real cousins were locked up in the basement."

Severus allowed Harry to rest his head back down on his shoulder. "S...so you mean...that...my cousins...didn't hurt me?"

Gently Severus brought up his hand and placed it soothingly on the back of Harry's head. "No, they were locked up and those who hurt you took their place."

Harry closed his eyes and suppressed a shutter. "Do...do I have to go back?"

Even though he now knew the people who had hurt him were different people, he didn't want to see them again. Not ever. It still brought back that painful night in full force, and he could not help, but feel fearful of them.

Tightening his grip a bit more on the boy Severus shook his head. "I don't believe so. They called for me themselves so that I could be here with you."

The boy's body relaxed in Severus's arms, and his eyes drooped closed. Even though he had just slept for a long while, he was still really tired for the healing really wore his body out.

Softly Severus tapped him on the cheek, before Harry fell fully asleep. He wanted one more answer and knew that now would be the time to ask as Harry was always more talkative when he was sleepy.

"Why didn't you tell me what was happening Harry or call for Don to help you?"

Harry shook his head. "Didn't want to be a burden and...and I was ashamed it was happening again...I deserved it though..."

Harry's eyes closed completely as sleep overtook him. Severus let out a small sigh and looked down at the fragile boy in his arms and wondered just how he was going to get it through this boy's thick head that he was not a burden and he had nothing to be ashamed about, but most importantly that he did not deserve to be hurt by anyone.

A moment later Severus shifted Harry in his arms so that it was more comfortable for the both of them and started to rock back and forth in the chair. Loath he was to admit it, but this chair really was soothing when it rocked back and forth like that. Slowly Severus's eyes closed and after a few minutes of telling himself he was only just going to rest his eyes Severus fell fast asleep, holding his boy that he loved so very much.

As the two slept on Madam Lark was watching with a smile playing on her lips. Quietly she came in the room and grabbed an extra blanket that was placed on the bedside table. Unfolding it she walked over to the two and draped the blanket gently over the pair so that they would not chill.

When she was sure that they were both comfortable she pulled up a chair and sat next to them pulling out a few forms from a pocket in her robes. They were the final adoption papers that needed to be signed, and then they would legally be father and son and not just guardian and ward.

Setting the papers down the woman looked at the two with a smile. Sighing she had to admit that she really liked Severus Snape, more than she had liked anyone in a long time.

Sadly she knew it would never work out, not with her being Harry's social worker. For if anything had happened between the two, Harry would be assigned to someone else. Work and personal lives were not allowed to intermingle in the Ministry. It only cause more hurt, and trouble for everyone involved. Even though Harry would be Severus's after signing those papers, someone in the future could choose to petition the adoption saying that the papers were not signed freely because she had loved Severus and had forced Harry. It would mean someone could take Harry from Severus.

Sometimes her job really sucked. First, she had put a child with people who had hurt him and now she had to let go a man she had begun to really love.

Sighing again Madam Lark looked down at her lap. How she wished things were different…

"How are my boys doing?"

The woman looked over to the doorway where the soft voice and come from and smiled at the Headmaster who had appeared. Quietly she gestured to the two in the rocking chair and then gestured for him to come sit down. She didn't want to risk waking them by talking across the room.

Coming over Albus sat next to the social worker. "I know that look on your face. You really like him don't you? Perhaps even love?"

Adverting her gaze back to Severus, she gave a small nod. "Yes, but it will never work out."

Understanding filled Albus's eyes. "Because of your job and Harry."

"Yes, I don't want to ever be the reason that their relationship comes into question. I could not live with myself if they were separated because of me. They belong together. Harry is more important to Severus than anyone."

Nodding Albus reached over and gently squeezed her hand in a comforting manor. "I know this is hard for you, but it is the right thing to do. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but sometimes the world is not fair."

The woman nodded. "I know, from the start I never knew it would work out. Will Severus be ok? I know I sent mixed signals."

Albus gave another nod. "He will be fine and will understand."

Standing up the woman nodded. "I should get going then. The last of the paperwork is on the table there. Once they are signed, they will transport themselves to the Ministry, and everything will be finalized. I shouldn't be telling you this, but I will making a 'surprise' visit in two weeks just to make sure everything is alright."

"Thank you for everything and please don't be a stranger. Stop by or fire call every so often."

Madam Lark had begun walking towards the door, but turned around and looked at the older man with a small smile. "I will."

Seeing Albus nod the woman then left the room completely closing the door behind her to give Albus some time alone with his boys.

When the social worker left the room Albus got up and took the chair that Madam Lark had abandoned so that he could be closer to his boys. Gently Albus reached over and set a gentle hand on Harry's arm that was poking out of the blankets and watched as he flinched more violently than he had in a while.

Sadly Albus kept his hand on Harry's arm ignoring the flinch and tried to gently soothe the boy who had begun to fuss a bit by gently rubbing circles into his arm.

"Shhh it's ok dear child. Calm down."

Harry stopped moving around and sighed deeply while he buried his face deeper in Severus's robes. Smiling Albus removed his hand and got up from his chair. Walking over to where Don had resized Harry's bags and opened the small blue one.

Carefully he took out the stuffed lion Don had thrown in there haphazardly and walked back over to the two on the chair. Gently he picked up Harry's arm and stuffed the small toy next to the cat for extra comfort, and Harry hugged it close only after a moment of hesitation.

Then bending over he placed a soft kiss on Severus's forehead and then did the same to Harry's forehead. With one last sad smile at his boy he started to leave the room to go finish setting up Harry's room.

One of the reason's it had taken him so long to come see Harry with Severus was he was getting ready a substitute teacher for Severus. After everything that had happened, Severus and Harry deserved some time off from school to heal and recover and that is why Albus was now headed to the store to buy some toy's and things for Harry's new home at Dumbledore Manor.

He had decided that both Severus and Harry would spend the rest of the term healing and relaxing at their home. Already, he had spoken with Pam and she had agreed readily to stop by everyday to home school Harry and keep him up with school while he was at home.

As Albus left the room, he smiled at his boy's one last time and then left quietly shutting the door behind him.

* * *

><p>When Severus awoke, it was to a small whimper coming from the area on his chest and aching bones. Opening his eyes he looked down and saw Harry and then cursed himself for allowing himself to fall asleep in this position, everything hurt in his body.<p>

After a few more moans and groans of his own, Severus looked down at the still whimpering child who was obviously trapped in a dream. With a sigh, he slowly freed one of his arms that had decided to fall asleep underneath Harry. When it had enough feeling back into it, he began to gently rub calming circles on the boy's back to try to soothe away the dream he knew the boy was having.

As soon as his hand touched Harry's back though, the boy's whole body went ridged, and he flinched. Sighing Severus kept his hand where it was, trying to ignore the flinch. He knew the more he ignored the flinch; the better it would get. At least in Harry's case. He had to get used to a kind touch again. After a few minutes of Severus's gentle touch, Harry melted into his embrace and his whimpers died down to a soft snore.

With a relieved sigh Severus pulled out his other hand from underneath Harry and began to shake the sleep out of that limb as well. Feeling restored back into both hands, Severus gently picked Harry up and clutched him close to his chest as he stood on weak knees. He would have to walk around some so that later on he would not be a body full of pain.

On jelly legs, Severus slowly crossed to the bed and placed Harry down on the middle with his two stuffed animals. He picked the blankets up off the floor and before placing them softly over the boy, he cast a small warming charm on them so that when they hit him they would be warm and not chilly.

As soon as he was sure Harry was warm and content, Severus stretched out his tight muscles and walked around the room trying to get all the kinks out. Finally after many long strides across the room Severus finally felt as though he was only in mild discomfort and not a walking ball of pain.

When he was done walking the length of the room, Severus came and sat back in the rocking chair not bothering transfiguring it back. He had a feeling he was going to have a use for it later. Maybe they would put one of these things in Harry's room, but it had to be more comfortable than this one. By Merlin this one had wood that poked you in the back and was not nearly wide enough to comfortably fit a sleeping boy and himself.

Looking at the table in front of him Severus spotted the papers the social worker had left for him to sign. Picking them up he read their entirety, and a smile graced his lips. All he had to do was sign them, have Harry sign them, and then the child would be his forever. He was tempted to wake the boy right there and then so that they could sign them, but he knew that it would not be a good start to their new relationship. Harry really did need his sleep more than anything right now.

When they got back to the castle, he would have to make sure that Harry took his nap in the afternoon and not just assume he had been doing so. And maybe an early bedtime was in Harry's future as well. At least, until he was rested, and back to a normal schedule.

While these thoughts flowed through his head, Severus could not help, but wonder if Harry was ready to go back to school right away. Not knowing that Albus had already made plans for them concerning this very matter, he was worried that Harry would not be able to cope with the separation for now.

In just a few more minutes, Severus was shaken from making plans in his head by someone clearing their throat next to him. Turning he saw it was Albus who was looking at him intently, and he was accompanied by Don who was giving him a concerned look. Apparently, he had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not heard their arrival.

Sheepishly he looked down at Harry to hide his embarrassment.

Gently Albus placed a hand on Severus's arm. "How are you Severus? Are you alright?"

Severus gave a small nod. "I'm alright, I was just thinking. Do you think it would be a good idea to pull Harry from classes for a little while? We could go back to the Manor, and I could look out for him there."

Albus smiled and patted Severus on the arm. "I already have a substitute in place until the next term starts, and I just went shopping for things to put in Harry's room. Pam will also be coming by everyday to keep Harry up with his classmates. Although he will not be in school, it will not do for him to fall behind."

Severus let out a small smile as he looked at the man he considered a father figure. It was amazing how alike they thought sometimes. "Sometimes you scare me; you know that?"

Smiling Albus nodded with mirth in his eyes. "I know my dear boy, but I also know you appreciate it when I get something done before you even ask."

Rolling his eyes Severus adverted his gaze back to Harry. "When do you think Harry will be able to go home?"

Don let a sad smile spread on his face. "I want to see him when he wakes and make sure his mental status is fully there and do one last check up on him. Then, you can take him home."

Severus looked alarmed at the Healer. "What do you mean his mental status? I know he will be hurting for a while, but do you think there will be anything else?"

Don shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know Severus that is why I wanted to check up on him. Under a truth serum, the Death Eaters revealed everything they did to the poor boy and I just want to be sure that he is alright. He seemed fine mentally when I first got to him, but I want to make sure there are no lingering effects."

Severus looked at the Healer intently with an eyebrow raised. "Effects?"

Don sighed. "The Death Eater posing as Mark cast the Cruciatus curse on him three times."

Severus looked ready to murder but Don rested a calming hand on the man's arm and sent him a wave of calming magic. It would not do well if Severus exploded right here in front of Harry. Especially if he woke the boy with his anger.

"Calm down Severus."

Taking a deep breath Severus closed his eyes. "Where are they? I'll kill them!"

Don sent even stronger bouts of calming magic to the man. "No, you will not Severus. He has already been sent to the Dementors to receive the Kiss. You know casting an Unforgivable on a child is a crime punishable by a fate worth than death."

Severus slumped down into is chair and sighed defeated. Slowly his head found its way into his hands as he imagined all the pain Harry must have gone though. "How could this have happened?"

Albus sighed as he watched pain ripple though Severus. Every time they found themselves in a situation like this, it amazed the old man just how much it hurt himself watching Severus hurt.

Closing his eyes to gain a bit of composure Albus set a gentle hand on the man's back. "It seems that Lucius is to blame. He set this up after he heard something come out of Children's Services. Apparently, he was looking for a way to get his son back, but found this out instead. Moody kept him behind bars for as long as he could, but the man has connection so he was set free not thirty minutes ago. And before you get all angry stating that you are going to go kill him, let me tell you, you are not. If you were then who would Harry have to turn to for comfort? Yes, I am here and so is Don, but all he really wants is his Daddy and you know that!"

Severus looked at Albus with tears in his eyes. Blinking to get rid of them he looked back down at Harry. "You are right, thank you Albus. Speaking of Lucius, how is Draco doing?"

Albus let a small smile though as he nodded. "He is adjusting just fine. It seems that he has even earned his first spanking for playing too recklessly on a broom from Arthur. He scared the living daylights out of the poor man. It seems the incident seemed to bring them closer together somehow."

Severus nodded and looked at Harry. "That is good to hear, I am glad Draco has found himself a loving family. It was just what he needed."

"It was, and it was thanks to you." Albus smiled at the man before him. He knew Severus would never take credit on his own so he did everything he could to praise the man or point out his good deeds.

Severus flushed and looked at Harry, but then after a moment he looked back up at Albus. "You said everything is ready at home for Harry?"

Albus gave a small nod. "Yes, it is. I even added a charmed ceiling to his bedroom, a day sky when it is light and a night sky when it is dark."

"Thank you."

"It is no problem Severus. Oh, and I think I have something here for Harry."

Albus pulled something soft and black out of his robe pocket. Looking closer Severus noticed the small fluff ball moving slightly. "I thought Harry might need a furry little companion since he loves that toy so much."

Severus nodded as he watched as Albus place the Kneazle kitten on the end of Harry's bed. Immediately, the small fluff ball climbed up and laid on top of Harry's chest curling into a content little ball. As he did so Harry reached over with a hand and rested it gently on the purring fur ball.

Severus smiled. "I think they will make a good pair"

Smiling as well Albus nodded. "Indeed, they will."


	26. Papers

**Hello, Here is another chapter for you all! Thank you for all your reviews! And a big thank you to my wonderful beta Lady DestinyHope, you are awesome! :)**

**YeCatsJ - I thought Harry might need a little companion. :)**

**Williamson - Why thank you! :)**

**emberSC- Packing up and moving may sound like a good idea, but it's hard when you have family and friends you would be leaving behind.**

**Lady DestinyHope - ;) I've never seen any rule saying you can't review! haha**

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><p>Waking up slowly, Harry curled tightly into his sheets wondering why he had a very warm spot on his chest. His hand was resting on top of it, and it felt very fuzzy and small, almost like his stuffed cat, but this one felt warm...and was that purring he felt? He knew his toy cat couldn't do that.<p>

Giving his mind a few more seconds to fully awake, he stroked the small fluff ball on his chest and marveled at its softness. As he did so he felt whatever it was shake harder.

Curiosity getting the better of him. Harry slowly opened his eyes and looked down at his chest. There was a small black ball that had two big green eyes looking at him. Surprised Harry removed his hand and watched as the small creature stood up and arched it's back stretching. Leaning on its back feet, the green eyes closed, and the small mouth opened wide in a yawn.

When the small kitten had finished stretching and yawning it slowly began to walk closer to Harry's face giving the boy's cheek a small sniff, but then apparently deciding that Harry was suitable, lowered its head and butted him, asking to be stroked.

Smiling, Harry pet the kitten as requested and listened as the small creature purred even harder.

"I wonder who you belong to little one. You sure are sweet."

Startling Harry, Severus spoke up amused by his son's antics with the kitten. "He's yours Harry."

Looking over at Severus, wide eyed, Harry absently continued to pet the small fuzz ball. "He's mine? ….but how?"

Severus got off the chair he was sitting in and came over to sit on the edge of Harry's bed. Reaching out the man started to pet the kitten with Harry, and the small creature turned to see who the new hand belonged to. When he saw it was Severus, the small kitten opened her mouth and let out a small mew in greeting.

Smiling at both the kitten and Harry, Severus picked up the small thing and placed it gently back on Harry's chest so that he could get a clear view of his boy's face. "I believe Albus thought you would like a companion. She doesn't have a name, so you can name her whatever you want."

Reaching down to pet the small thing absently Harry looked up at Severus. "You...you mean I can keep her?"

Severus smiled and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Certainly Harry. There is something you should know about her though. She is no ordinary kitten; she is what they call a protective kneazle. They choose only one person to bond with within their lifetime, and they give their complete loyalty to the one they choose ."

Harry blushed as he looked down at his new friend who was currently kneading on his chest and purring.

Smiling Severus continued. "They are also very protective of whomever they bond with. Once they sense any kind of danger, they will throw up a protective shield around the one they have chosen to protect."

Recognition sparked in Harry's eyes as he looked down at the small fuzzy creature. "So...you mean...she's chosen me?"

Severus gave a small nod. "I couldn't separate you two if I wanted to. Have you thought of a name?"

Harry nodded as he continued to stroke the young cat. Even since he was little he always knew what he wanted to call his first pet. "What do you think of Arwen? I've always liked that name."

The cat sat down on Harry's chest and meowed happily making both Severus and the boy smile.

"I think she likes it Harry."

Harry smiled and watched as the kitten walked back up his chest and up to his neck. When she reached Harry's chin she walked down Harry's shoulder and onto the pillow Harry's head was still resting on. Walking in circles a few times the kitten made herself comfortable and lay down in a tiny ball giving a content meow.

As his kitten made herself comfortable Harry carefully sat up in bed, but looked down at his lap. Memories from yesterday were coming back full force.

Sensing the mood shift in the boy Severus gave a small sigh and rested a gentle hand on the boy's back. He would pry, but after Harry got some food in him. It was not healthy for Harry to skip any meals, especially when he was so thin the begin with.

"Are you hungry Harry?"

Harry was very hungry from not having any lunch or dinner last night, but he shook his head no. He had lied to his daddy, and he felt he deserved not eating for that lie.

"Does your tummy hurt?"

Again, Harry shook his head. It was a bit upset, but he figured it was just because he was so hungry.

Frowning Severus removed his hand from Harry's back and placed it on Harry's chin, tilting it up so that he could look Harry in the eyes.

"Child, what is wrong?"

Harry tried to move his head so that he didn't have to look at his daddy, but Severus's hand was preventing him from moving. Knowing his daddy was going to be mad at him for lying tears began to form in Harry's eyes. He couldn't help it; ideas of him being thrown out for being so ungrateful were flowing through his mind.

As soon as Severus saw the tears he closed his eyes for a moment, but when he opened them he set into action to try to calm his child. Gently he removed his hand from the boy's chin and pulled the boy close to his chest and wrapped his arms around his back.

"It's ok Harry, but I need to know how you're feeling. Do you hurt anywhere or are you in any pain?"

Harry shook his head against Severus's shoulder ignoring the pain in his stomach that was growing. "Then what is wrong child? Are you still sleepy?"

More tears stated coming from Harry's eyes as he shook his head again. More than concerned and confused Severus gently pulled Harry up out of the covers and stood up with the boy in his arms. Sitting down in the rocking chair Severus made sure Harry was sitting comfortably on his lap and then started to rock back and forth.

"Shhhh It's alright Harry."

But every attempt at soothing the boy just made him cry harder. The kinder his daddy became, the guiltier Harry felt.. How could he be so ungrateful to lie to him like that? Although the small voice in the back of his head kept telling him he had done it so that he wouldn't bother his daddy.

At a loss of what to do with the distraught child, Severus reached around for his pendent and called silently for Don. He hoped the Healer could tell what was wrong with Harry. Seeing his child like this was unbearable and not being able to console him...that was even worse.

Just minutes after being called Don came into the room with concern sparkling in his eyes. Quickly he came over to the crying boy. Sitting down next to the two he placed a gentle hand on Harry's back making him flinch.

"Harry can you please tell us what the matter is?"

Again, Harry shook his head, as he continued to cry. Sighing Don started to try to calm down the child with his calming magic, for it was obvious Harry was well into working himself into a panic attack.

"Breathe Harry. Breathe."

Slowly Harry's breathing started to return to normal, but the fear that had led him to hyperventilating in the first place was still there.

Gently Severus pulled Harry back from his robes and rested Harry's head on his shoulder so that the boy could see both Don and himself.

Stroking Harry's hair back Severus placed a tender kiss on Harry's forehead. "Please Harry, tell us what the matter is."

Even though Harry's breathing had normalized, his tears continued to fall as he shook his head.

Sighing Severus looked to Don for help. Why didn't Harry feel as though he could tell him what was wrong? Had he said something that upset him? Was it something to do with his time with those Death Eaters? Or was it possible that Harry had some damage from the Cruciatus Curse?

With a reassuring glance at the new parent, Don got up from his chair and walked over to the bed. Picking up a blanket he walked back over to Severus and gently tucked the blanket around the small boy. Then slowly Don pulled the chair up and sat right in front of the distraught Harry.

"I know you don't want to tell us what the matter is Harry, but how can we help you if you don't tell us what is wrong?"

Harry looked down and clutched onto his daddy while he shook his head.

Sighing Don placed a gentle hand on Harry's back and ignored the flinch. "Are you upset about something that happened yesterday?"

Opening his eyes wide Harry begun to shake his head, but stopped and slowly nodded. Smiling at the boy Don gently patted Harry's back.

"Very good Harry. Are you thinking about what that man did to you?"

Harry shook his head and closed his eyes tightly. He did not want to remember what had happened to him just then. Especially when he was so worried about what Severus would do when he found out that he had lied to him. Would he abandon him? Would he give him back to his cousins? Would they care for him like Severus had? Probably not, because he was such a dirty freak.

Unbeknownst to Harry he had been so upset that he had been broadcasting his thoughts, and any one with the slightest skill in Legilimency could hear that included Severus and Don who both looked at the boy sadly.

When Harry opened his eyes again Severus hugged the boy even closer. "Oh Harry, is that what you really think? Do you think because you lied I will throw you out and give you away? That will never happen Harry, no matter what you do or how many lies you tell me. I will love you no matter what."

Harry curled into Severus and cried even harder. It was all Don could do to keep the boy at a safe breathing level while he cried his heart out.

Even more concerned now that he knew just what Harry had been think Severus closed his eyes and rested his chin on top of Harry's head. "Come on Harry, calm down now. I'm not mad at you, not at all."

Slowly Harry's crying slowed as he slumped down, exhausted, in Severus's warm inviting arms. When the tears had stopped, Severus conjured a warm washcloth and started to wipe away the dried tears. Severus set down the washcloth and looked at Harry seriously. "It looks as if we need to talk Harry."

Harry gave a small shudder and clutched to Severus. With a small sigh Severus continued, hoping to try to clear some of the waters. "I know you lied to me Harry, but I am not mad at you. I understand why you lied, and I am disappointed that you didn't trust me enough to tell me what was going on, but I am not mad at you."

Harry looked down his face flushed. "A...are you going to punish me?"

Looking down at Harry Severus gave the boy a small smile. He honestly had given no thought of punishing Harry for his small lie. He was just glad that Harry was back to him safe and sound.

"Well, Harry what do you think?"

Harry looked down and fiddled with the ends of his shirt. "I...I feel really guilty...I...I don't know..."

Severus nodded and looked at Harry seriously. "Well, I think ten minutes in the corner will do. What do you think?"

As much as Severus wished he didn't have to do this to his child, he knew Harry had to do something to try to repent for his lie. Otherwise, he knew the guilt would start to eat the boy from the inside out and he didn't want that to happen.

Harry gave a small nod and looked down. "I'm really sorry sir."

"It's ok child. Now are you hungry?"

The boy gave a small nod looking even more guilty than before. His stomach was reminding him of the other lies he had told today. His tummy hurt because he was so hungry.

"Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes tightly and put his head down to his chest. He was so ashamed of himself. His daddy said that he wouldn't throw him out for that one lie...but he had lied again...twice...

Gently Severus rested a hand on the back of Harry's head and ran his long fingers through the soft hair. "Ok son, we'll get you something to eat and then you'll spend fifteen minutes in the corner. Five more minutes for lying again."

Harry looked up at Severus. "How...how do you know what I'm...thinking?"

Severus smiled at Harry while Don got up to get some food for the boy.

"You were thinking very loudly Harry. So loudly that we could hear you."

Harry blushed and leaned into Severus. Hesitantly he reached up, and with both hands the small boy wrapped his arms around Severus's neck resting his head on the man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry for being so bad."

Wrapping his arms around Harry Severus made sure the blanket was wrapped securely around Harry. "You are not bad Harry; you could never be bad. You are my wonderful little boy and that will never change."

Just then Don came back in the room with a tray of food for the small boy. Carefully he came over to the two and sat down in the chair he had pulled up to sit in front of the two. Setting the tray down on his lap he placed a gentle hand on Harry's back.

"Harry, I have some soup here for you and some yogurt."

Slowly Harry unwrapped his arms from around Severus's neck and sunk back down so that he was sitting in the man's lap again. He turned to look at the Healer and shyly looked down to his tummy.

Picking up the yogurt and a spoon Don reached out and handed it to Harry. "Eat up Harry."

Harry took the offered yogurt and opened the top. Hesitantly at first, but as soon as that wonderful raspberry flavor hit his tongue Harry began to eat with a vengeance.

Gently Severus rested a hand on the boy's hand. "Slow down Harry, you're going to make yourself sick."

Harry blushed, embarrassed that he had fallen back into old habits.

"It's ok Harry. There is no need to be embarrassed. You haven't eaten anything in a long while, and it's hard not to eat fast when you are hungry."

Harry nodded and dipped his spoon back in the yogurt as soon as Severus removed his hand.

Many bites later Harry had finished all of his yogurt and half a bowl of chicken noodle soup. When the last of the dishes were put away Don came back over and looked Harry in the eyes.

"How are you feeling Harry? Does your tummy hurt?"

Harry shook his head and looked down clearly still feeling guilty for lying earlier.

With a sigh Severus saw the guilt and decided that it would be best to get this over with as soon as possible. Maybe then the boy would stop feeling as if he had done something terrible. As Severus had told Harry, he was not angry with the boy for his little fib. He understood that Harry was scared that night and as much as Severus loath to admit it Harry didn't fully trust him. Actions always spoke louder than words.

"Come Harry. Why don't you spend those fifteen minutes in the corner and then we'll talk."

With his head bowed Harry gave a small nod. Severus shot a concerned look at Don who only nodded and waved his hand to the corner. The Healer knew as well that Harry would not feel better until he felt as if he had paid for his deeds. Also, it would not be good for Severus to not follow through with what he had declared earlier; it would just confuse the poor boy.

Helping Harry stand up on his feet Severus took the blanket from around his shoulder and with a gentle hand on his back led him to the corner. When they reached their destination Severus summoned a robe he had packed for the child in his bags and gently draped it over Harry's shoulders so that he would not get cold and his bottom would not be viewable to the world.

With his nose in the corner Severus rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Ok Harry, I want you to think why you are standing here. I want you to know you can trust me and Don; you can tell us anything. When you lie to us, it makes it hard for us to help you. We don't know whether you are telling the truth or not and so then we don't know what to do. We would like it if you would trust us, but we want to trust you as well."

As Harry's shoulders began to hitch Severus gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I understand why you did not tell anyone though. I know the fear and shame you felt. What happened to you was not your fault. Please promise me you understand that."

Breath hitched Harry gave a small nod and a small part of his heart was beginning to believe that it was true. A very tiny part, but it was a start to a very long road to recovery.

Again, Severus gave the boy's shoulder a gentle squeeze as he moved away. "Very good Harry. I want you to stand there and think about everything I just said, alright? Remember I am not mad at you."

Harry gave a small nod as he struggled to gain his composure. He knew all his daddy was telling him was true, but it was hard to hear. It was hard to hear his daddy scolding him. It made him feel ashamed and squirmy inside. He supposed that was how he was supposed to feel standing in the corner, but he didn't like it one bit.

Moving away from Harry, Severus sat back in the rocking chair and looked at Don. Approvingly, Don smiled and nodded back. It was hard being a parent especially when it came to punishments. That old saying, this hurts me worse than it does you? It was true.

Don reached over to place a hand on Severus's shoulder. Quietly he whispered, "You're doing the right thing Severus. He would have continued to punish himself if you had not."

Severus nodded and Don removed his hand with a small reassuring squeeze. For the next fifteen minutes, Harry stood in the corner in sniffles and the two adults sat there watching the small boy.

It took everything in Severus to not rush over and scoop Harry up into his arms as tears started to leak from the boy's eyes. And Severus would never admit it, but he would have if it weren't for the Healer's hand on his shoulder stopping him from getting up.

When the fifteen minutes were up Don removed his hand and gestured for the man to go to his son and Severus did. With a forced calmness Severus got up and walked over to Harry placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. As soon as he did so he found his arms full of a small sobbing boy.

Severus hugged the boy fiercely to his chest. "It's all over now Harry. Everything is forgiven and forgotten, and I don't want you to dwell anymore on those lies you told. Just try not to do it again."

Harry nodded against Severus's chest and buried his head deep in his robes. Taking in the comforting smell of cinnamon and spices that he loved so much.

After a few more moments, Harry calmed down and Severus pulled back. "Come Harry, I believe we have some things to discuss."

Harry gave a small nod and looked up at his daddy curiously as he led him back to the rocking chair. When they reached their destination Severus sat down and set Harry back on his lap he then reached over and scooped the fuzz ball up and placed it in Harry's lap.

"Now Harry, while having a pet is a wonderful experience you also have to learn how to take care of her. She doesn't have to be walked like a dog, but you will have to clean her litter box every few days. You will also have to make sure she is fed and has water all the time. Do you think you can manage that? It's a big responsibility."

Petting his new kitty Harry gave a small nod. "I think I can, but what if I forget?"

Severus smiled. "At first I will remind you, but I am sure after a while it will become routine."

"Ok. Are we going back to school soon?"

Harry's new father looked at Don who nodded at back at him as if to go on and explain. Heaving a sigh Severus said, "Albus thought that it would be good for us to spend some time at home after we sign the adoption papers."

Curiously he looked up at Severus with his hand still stroking the purring fuzz ball. "When will we be going back then? The end of the week?"

Severus shook his head. "We thought that it would be best to take the rest of the term off. Pam will be coming by so that you are all caught up, but with everything we thought that it might be best for you to learn in a more relaxed environment."

Looking down at his kitten Harry gave a small nod. "The adoption papers? When are we going to sign those?"

With a smile Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out the two forms. "Right now if you want."

Harry's head shot up as he nodded. A part of his brain was asking him who would ever want a dirty freak like him, but a bigger and more dominant part of his brain was excited to finally have someone he could really call family. So the doubt was pushed away, for now, while Harry grabbed the quill and signed the papers readily.

As soon as Harry's signature was on the papers, Severus took the offered quill from the boy and wrote his own signatures. When they were both finished the papers floated up out of both their grasp and disappeared to the Ministry.

Wrapping his arms around the small boy in his lap Severus kissed the boy on top of his head. "Welcome to the family Harry."

Harry relaxed back into Severus's arms and sighed contently. He finally had a home; he just hoped he didn't do anything to mess it up.

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><p>A few hours found Harry taking a small nap in his bed after a good lunch. The poor thing still was having trouble not eating too fast. It was hard when old habit you had thought you had gotten rid of came back full force.<p>

Before lunch the three had discussed going back to Dumbledore manor in more detail, for instance what the rules were for the new home and what rooms were off limits for Harry. The rules were pretty much the same ones Severus had set up for Harry at school except for a few more details concerning broom usages and that he must be inside before dark no matter what. The only rooms off limits for Harry when he didn't have supervision were the potions lab, for obvious reasons, and Albus's and Severus's bedrooms so that they could have some privacy. It wasn't that much, but they were things that Severus wanted him to know.

Harry had agreed to all the rules, but asked the one thing that concerned him the most. Would he be able to go to Severus's bedroom when he was scared or had a nightmare? Severus had just smiled at him and nodded reassuring him that he would always be welcome if he were scared and the rules were only in place if he or Albus were not in said room.

Severus shook those thoughts from his mind while he sat by Harry's bedside stroking back the boy's hair. Then with a sigh he turned from his child and got off the bed so that he could speak with Don. He had already spent over an hour just watching Harry sleep.

Walking over to where the other sat Severus sat down in a chair nearby casting a silencing spell around him as he did. He didn't want to wake Harry just yet.

"When do you think Harry can come home?"

Don smiled at the man sitting across from him. "Mentally, he seems fine besides the obvious trauma. I just want to ask him whether he remembers being hit with the Cruciatus curse just to make sure his memory was not affected. It would also be good for him to talk about it so that he understands that that spell will never be cast on him again."

Severus gave a small nod. "Can he go home after that? I want to get him settled as soon as possible."

With a smile Don nodded. "Yes, you can take him home then."

Severus's gaze swung back to Harry laying on the bed and nodded satisfied with Don's answer. Sighing he got out of his chair and moved back to sit on the edge Harry's bed. Gently Severus reached out and began to stroke Harry's hair back. The poor boy flinched back violently making Severus close his eyes for a moment, but still kept soothing back Harry's hair.

"Time to wake up Harry."

He didn't want Harry to sleep too long this afternoon, or else he would not sleep well tonight.

Harry stirred a bit, but turned over in the bed making the small fluff ball get up and stretch. Looking up at Severus with its bright green eyes the kitten let out a small mew and started to walk up to Harry's face. Sitting down in front of the boy's face Arwen leant over and started to lick Harry's cheek.

Smiling Severus removed his hand and let the small kitten wake the boy her way. It was adorable to say the least.

Watching the small kitten lick the boy Severus was amused to see Harry bring up a small hand to pet the kitten while opening his eyes. "Alright, alright Arwen. I'm awake."

The kitten sat back on its back feet and mewed happily. Smiling Harry picked the small fuzz ball up and rolled back over onto his back. Looking over at Severus he smiled.

"Hi daddy."

Severus smiled back at him. "I think I'm beginning to like this kitten. Every time you don't want to get up, I can just sic her on you!"

Harry smiled at the man as he looked down at the kitten who was now kneading on his chest and stuck out his tongue.

Severus laughed as Don came up and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking over at the other man, Severus saw mirth in his eyes and a smile on his face.

"You are one mean man Severus. Letting that poor cat do all your work for you."

They all shared a smile as Harry sat up in bed letting the kitten settle in his lap. Pulling up a chair Don sat facing the bed and the small boy.

"Are you ready to go home Harry?"

The boy nodded, but looked down as the kitten nipped at Harry's fingers. The Healer looked down at the kitten who was giving the boy a sort of scolding look while it held on tight with its tiny teeth.

Harry looked up at the Healer and shrugged. "I guess I have a few more questions."

The kitten let go of Harry's finger and started to lick the tiny puncture marks she had made on his finger. Apparently, she already bonded with the boy and could sense everything he was feeling, like a little lie detector.

Don nodded at Harry. "Go right ahead Harry."

Harry nodded and let the kitten lick his wound as he pet her with his other hand. "Will I be able to see my friends?"

Severus nodded. "I think we can make some arrangements. Your friends could come over a few times, or we can take some trips to Hogwarts to see them. Is that what is troubling you?"

Harry started to nod, but a growl started to come from his lap stopping him. Sighing Harry shook his head. "No...it's just...that...will I have to see my cousins again? I...I know that you said I didn't, but...but will the Ministry make me?"

Gently Severus reached out and started to rub soothing circles on the boy's back. "Those papers we signed this morning made it so that the Ministry no longer has control over you. So if you don't want to see them, then you don't have to. I can understand that you don't want to see them right now, but someday you might want to meet them. You know they helped finalize the adoption for us; they only wish the best for you."

Harry looked up at Severus. "They did?"

Severus gave a small nod. "They did."

Harry looked back down at the kitten who was purring contently now that she had gotten her master to actually say what he was feeling. She didn't like it when people hid things from those who cared and if she could do anything about it her new master would stop hiding. Especially when it was obvious all these two wanted to do was help him.

"Is that all Harry? Did you want to ask anything else?"

Harry shook his head while the kitten began to climb up the boy's legs then jumped up to rest on his shoulder wrapping herself around his neck.

Don nodded and gently patted Harry on the arm. "Ok then Harry, would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

Harry looked up at the Healer as he nodded curiously.

Sighing Don looked the boy in the eyes. "Last night, do you remember being hit with a curse?"

Harry looked down, but reached up to pet the purring kitten on his shoulder as he nodded.

Gently Severus rested a hand on Harry's back as Don continued.

"Can you tell us about it Harry?"

The boy took a deep breath in and then let it out slowly. Arwen felt the distress her owner was feeling and started to caress the side of his neck to try to comfort him. Smiling Harry reached up and pet the kitten's head.

"Thank you Arwen."

Harry took a deep breath and then nodded slowly. "I...I was in the corner...he had just finished...be...beating me...he...he...pulled out his wand...and..."

Harry took another breath, suddenly it was becoming harder for him to breathe. Again, the boy took another breath, and then another, but he just couldn't seem to catch them.

Coming closer Don sat on the edge of the bed while Severus moved back onto a chair. It was obvious Harry was more in need of the Healer's help at the moment. Slowly Don placed a hand on Harry's chest and did not move it as the boy flinched back.

"Breathe deeply for me Harry. You're safe with people who love you."

To try to make it easier for Harry to breathe Don sent the boy some calming magic. At first, the boy started to fight the magic lost in his panic at remembering what had happened, but after a few moments Harry started to accept it.

"That's it Harry. Nice and calm."

While Harry was calming down the small kitten jumped down from his shoulder and snuggled up close in the boy's lap.

Closing his eyes for a few moments Harry fully calmed down by taking a few more deep breath. "I'm...I'm sorry."

Don removed his hand from the boy's chest as he stopped the calming magic. "It's ok Harry. There is no need to be sorry. You have been through so much, and it's normal to feel frightened sometimes when you think of the past."

Harry looked down at the small kitten while he nodded. "Can...can I tell you the rest?"

"Yes Harry, whenever you are ready."

Harry took a few more deep breaths. "He...he took out his wand and...and he cast something...something that sounded like...Crucio?"

Severus flinched at the mention of that hated spell, it made him remember of all the times he had been under it. How his whole body had ached all over. It felt as if he were being thrown into a hot fire at the same time. Again, the man shuddered.

Don caught the shudder out of the corner of his eye, but for the moment decided not to comment on it. Harry at the moment needed him more.

Not noticing the small interaction between the two men in the room Harry looked up at Don with a hint of confusion. "What...what was that...I...it felt as if someone had thrown my entire body in hot water...and...it...hurt...so...much..."

Harry looked down at his kitten and tried to hide his tears, but the little scamp in his lap stood up on her back feet and reached up with her head to butt the boy's face gently bringing the tears to Severus's attention.

Severus looked at Don who nodded and moved out of his way. As he did so Severus stood back up and moved to sit back on the edge of Harry's bed, but instead of just sitting he gently drew the boy over to his side and hugged him close to his body.

"It's all over now Harry. I have you now, and I promise you, you will never go through anything like that again."

Harry nodded against Severus's side and held the kitten gently to his chest who was purring.

"He...he cast that spell...two more times...it...really hurt..."

Severus sighed and drew the boy so that he was now sitting on his lap. "I know child, I know. That man will no longer hurt you."

Harry gave a small nod. "What…what was that spell?"

While holding Harry close Severus decided that it was probably best for Harry to know the truth. Lying to him would do no good. "It's what's called the Cruciatus Curse, and it's one of the three Unforgivables. It's meant to cause unbearable pain and if it is ever cast then the caster is put in Azkaban."

Harry looked up at Severus. "Is…is that where that man is?"

Severus looked at Don to see whether he should continue, but the Healer just nodded solemnly. He had started, and now he had to finish. Sighing Severus looked down at his innocent boy. "No, he had another punishment. You see while it is against the law to cast that spell on a normal person it is considered a worse deed casting it on a child. He was sentenced to be Kissed by the Dementors."

"Kissed?"

Sighing Severus nodded. "Do you know what a Dementor is, Harry?"

The boy shook his head so Severus tried the best he could to explain what had happened to the man who had hurt him so much.

By the end of his explanation Harry was looking down at the small kitten in his lap. "So they killed him for what he did to me?"

"Harry, look at me."

The boy looked up at Severus. "Don't you dare start to blame yourself for what happened to him. That man had done many other deeds that landed him in that position and what he did to you was unforgivable. You are just a child and you could not defend yourself."

Harry nodded, but it was obvious that he was having trouble believing Severus so the man did the only thing he could think of.

"I know adults have let you down many times in the past, and we have as well, but I promise you that now that you are legally my son no one can ever hurt you again. You are mine, and I will do everything in my power to protect you."

Harry nodded as a few more tears fell from his eyes. He knew his daddy would protect him now, but it was hard to really accept that in his heart. He had been hurt so many times in the past, and his heart was finally softening when he had been hurt all over again.

Severus and Harry sat like that for a few more moments with the man just holding Harry and the boy petting his kitten, before Severus pulled back and wiped away the remaining tears from Harry's face. "Are you ready to go home Harry?

Harry nodded slowly as his kitten meowed in agreement. Smiling Severus reached down and patted the kitten.

"I believe you have yourself a handful here. She's not going to let you get away with anything."

Harry blushed and nodded remembering how she had bitten his finger and he had heard that soft scolding voice in his head telling him he better tell exactly how he was feeling of else she would bite his other finger. He had been too preoccupied keeping his finger from harm's way before but now he was curious how he had heard her in his head. Or at least that's what he thought he had heard.

Looking up at his daddy Harry gave him a curious glance. "Is it normal to be able to hear her talk in my head?"

For a moment the room was silent while the two adults took in this new bit of information. It was rare for a familiar to bond so closely to a human in such a short amount of time, but it was also a sign that the wizard who had bonded had a pure, untainted soul. Which was amazing to say the least that Harry was still so innocent after everything that had happened, really it was a miracle.

Unfortunately, the two had taken too long to answer the small boy who was now looking down and worrying his lip between his teeth clearly worried that he was not normal.

"Reaching down again to pet the kitten Severus made his move to soothe the boy. " It is not common for someone to bond so quickly, but that is not a bad thing, not at all. Actually, it is a sign of a great wizard."

Harry looked up at Severus. "But...but I don't want to be a great wizard...I'm just Harry...just Harry..."

Severus hugged the boy close to him. "I know you are, and being a great wizard is not a bad thing. Look at the Headmaster, he is a wonderful wizard and a wonderful person."

Harry shook his head. "I...I don't want the attention...can't I be just Harry?"

Heaving a sigh, Severus ruefully decided that maybe now was not the time for this conversation. He wanted to get Harry settled and have a nice dinner at home before it got dark. "Ok then, you can just be Harry. We'll talk more about this later though, alright?"

Harry just nodded as the small cat purred in his lap and started to kneed with her tiny paws.

Severus kissed the top of Harry's head and set him down on the side of the bed. "Why don't you go get dressed and cleaned up in the bathroom and then we will go home. How does that sound?"

Harry nodded his head as he hopped off the bed and went over to his small bag he saw across the room. Grabbing out a few clothes Harry headed to the bathroom with the small black fuzz ball followed at his heals obviously set to the task of watching out for her master.

Severus smiled at the sight and shook his head letting out a small laugh. "I wonder if Albus knew just what kind of pet he had chosen for Harry."

Don smiled as well. "I am sure he did, the sly old coot. She will be good for him though. He certainly won't be able to hide anything from us if she has anything to say about it. Did you see how she bit his finger?"

Severus nodded. "I did, and I don't think even I am able to produce that kind of glare. I didn't even think cats were able to glare!"

Don shook his head amused, but then sobered up as he realized that Harry would be coming out soon. Harry was remarkably quick when it came to getting cleaned up and dressed.

Sending a significant look at Severus who immediately lost his smile. Don heaved a small sigh before he started.

"It will take time for him to heal from this Severus. The flinching will go away, but the fear will be there for a while. I am guessing his nightmares will be back with a vengeance as well. I'm going to ask you not to clear his mind for him for a little while. I hate to see him suffer, but you know how important it is that he talks with someone and with Harry those dreams are a good ice breaker. It lets us in without him realizing it and every time he tells us one of those memories he feels better. It's one less thing on his chest"

Severus sighed. "If you think it is for the best. Is there anything I should look out for?"

Don nodded. "Well, he seems fine right now considering everything, but the next few days will be challenging He might regress, test his boundaries, or just seek attention. The most you can do is keep an eye out for him and make sure he is coping."

Again Severus nodded, but then got off the bed and began to pack Harry's things as he asked his next question. "The Cruciatus curse, did if affect him?"

The Healer sighed as he got up from his chair. Slowly he made his way over to Severus to place a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "I don't think so, but if he starts to forget things or has trouble recalling events, contact me immediately."

"Alright." Severus placed the last item in Harry's back and then walked over to the bed where the two stuffed toy's lay. Gently he picked them up and placed them in the bag with the two heads sticking out.

Just then a freshly washed boy popped out of the bathroom with an extremely poofy kitten behind him. Apparently, the steam did not agree with her fur. Hiding his smile Severus beckoned Harry over to him and placed a gentle arm around his shoulder ignoring the flinch.

"Are you ok leaving by Floo?"

Harry gave a small nod and Severus picked up his bags. "Alright then, pick up Arwen and let's go."

Harry did as his daddy instructed and then followed him out of the room and to the Floo that was in the lobby on that they reached the fireplace Harry turned around to see the Healer smiling at him.

"I'll see you later Harry and Pam will be over tomorrow to work on some schoolwork with you."

Harry nodded and surprised both the kitten and Don by reaching forward and hugging the man. Disgruntled by the sudden pressure the kitten mewed so Harry let go of the Don.

"Thank you for everything sir."

Don reached out and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Anytime you need me Harry. Now take care of that kitten and Severus for me."

Again, Harry nodded and then turned to see Severus throw some green powder in the fireplace and yell out Dumbledore Manor. With one, last goodbye both Severus and Harry jumped into the flames and the next thing Harry knew he was in the most wonderful place he had ever seen.


	27. Home

**Yeah for another chapter, sorry this is so late. Real life got in the way for a little bit and don't be suprised if the next chapter is a little late either. I'm in the long streach for graduating collage and things are getting crazy! :)**

**Also THANK YOU so much Lady DestinyHope for you amazing editing skills! And an extra happy birthday!**

**shadewatcher - It could be from Lord of the Rings. ;)**

**Joanne Brandon - I'm glad you enjoy my story, but don't your homeowrk!**

**I Love this story - Harry is in his second year so he is twelve. Don't be afraid of asking questions, I don't mind answering. :)**

**lilyflower50 - I haven't decided yet. Maybe they will come visit for a little.**

* * *

><p>Harry could not believe how beautiful his new home was, it was even grander than the Diaz's and it felt...more homey. Looking around Harry saw that they were in a large living room colored in soft tans and complete with two couches and many comfortable looking chairs. It was beautiful, and he couldn't help, but wonder if the Headmaster had decorated. After another thought though he dismissed the thought, there was no way he had decorated with all his wild robe choices.<p>

Looking up Harry found himself looking at an amused Severus. "What do you think?"

Harry blushed and looked down. "It's really nice sir."

Severus wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Hey now, what's with this sir business?"

Harry looked down and his kitten who was purring in his arms and blushed again. "Sorry."

The man could sense the nervousness coming off the boy in waves and let out a small sigh. Gently he moved Harry forward a little so that he was sitting on one of the plump couches.

When it came to decorating, Severus was glad that Albus had a sense in colors unlike when he chose his robes. He would never understand why the man decided to wear those atrocious bright colors. Coincidently, Harry had just had similar thoughts flowing though his head.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind Severus looked down at the small boy in front of him. Harry was still looking around curiously, but he had a hint of nervousness to him.

"Let's get your shoes off so that you're more comfortable. And then do you want to see the rest of the house or do you want to rest a bit?"

Harry looked up still with the kitten gently purring against his chest. "Can we see the rest of the house?"

"Yes, or course Harry. We can even see the gardens too if you want."

Harry's eyes brightened at the mention of the gardens and vigorously nodded his head. "That would be brilliant!"

Severus let out a small smile. "Good, now let's get those shoes off so you can see the rest of the Manor."

Harry nodded and let the kitten down on the floor so she could explore the house as well. He then bent over and began to untie his shoes and take them off. Finishing, he grabbed Severus's extended hand.

"Come on then. Would you like to see the downstairs first or do you want to go right to your room?"

Harry marveled at the soft, plush carpet beneath his feet thinking for a few moments. He really wanted to see the whole house, but then also he really wanted to see what his new room was like as well. He was torn.

"Can I leave my room for last?"

Severus smiled as he nodded. He knew Harry was trying to save what he was most excited for last and he couldn't blame him, he had done the same at his age. Gently Severus rested a hand on Harry's back and started to lead the boy to the kitchen.

"This is the kitchen. We have a house elf, but Albus and myself enjoy to cook so you will often find us in here. You are more than welcome to come down and take anything out of the fridge you want to a snack, but before using the stove come get Albus or myself. Also, this is where we will be taking our meals. We do have a dining room, but it's far too formal for everyday use."

Harry nodded his head while he was looking around at the most glorious kitchen he had ever seen. In size he could compare it to the Diaz's, but it didn't have frantic elves running around and for that Harry was grateful.

When Harry had taken everything in the kitchen, Severus gently guided Harry out and into the dining room and then to see both Albus and his own office. First, they stopped by Albus's door and peaked in.

"This is Albus's office and as I said earlier you are more than welcome to come in here if Albus is here, but please do not wander if he is not."

Harry gave a small nod so Severus closed the door and opened the one right next door.

"This is my office, and the same rule applies. Only come in if I am here."

Again Harry nodded, as he looked around the office. After a few moments Severus shut the door again and lead the boy towards another room opening the door to a large room.

"And this is the library. You are allowed to come in here whenever you want. This is where you will be meeting Pam in the afternoon. I can guarantee we have more than ample studying supplies in here."

Looking around in awe Harry marveled at the large bookshelves that lined the room. They were filled with books of all colors, shapes, and sizes. He couldn't wait to get his hands on them; they all looked so interesting.

Severus smiled down at Harry as he looked around in awe. "I only ask that you don't touch the books you can't reach on the upper sheaves. Think of the top shelves like the restricted section at school."

Harry looked up at Severus and nodded. "Are there any fiction books in here?"

"No, but I am sure we can go to the bookstore and get some for you to read. Or I believe there is even a public library down the street we could visit."

"That would be brilliant!"

Severus smiled knowing that while they might take, some trips to the public library there was still a surprise waiting for Harry in his room, and it might just include those fiction books he so wanted to read. These were the times when he loved Albus's perceptions.

Closing the door behind him the man gently began to guide Harry to a staircase. As they were walking up the stairs Severus started to explain how the home came to be. How this had been Albus's home as he grew up and it was right down the street from where Harry's parents had lived.

That last part caught Harry's attention. "So we're in Godric's hollow?"

Severus gave a small nod looking up at the boy who was in front of him on the stairs. "We are, Harry."

"So you mean it...it happened just down the street?"

At the top of the stairs, Severus turned to look at Harry and knelt down so that he could look Harry in the eye without the boy having to strain his neck.

"Yes, it did. Are you ok?"

Harry nodded, but looked down at his feet. "Can...can I see it?"

Severus sighed. "We can go visit the house, but let's get you settled first. I want you to be comfortable here and as soon as you are then we can go see it."

Harry nodded as he looked up at his daddy. "Ok."

Smiling Severus gently patted Harry on the shoulder. "Alright then, let's go see your rooms."

Severus got up from kneeling on the floor and gently guided the boy to a pale brown door. As he did so he pointed out his own room that was across the hall and Albus's room that was next to his.

Opening the door Severus kept his hand on Harry's shoulder as the child looked around with wonder on his face. The walls were painted light blue with a cream trim, and the bed that was tucked in the corner was a shade of deep blue just as he had asked. Looking up at the ceiling Harry marveled as he saw the charmed ceiling. It was like the great hall, but even more brilliant because it was in his room. _His_ room. He actually had a room all to his own.

Harry lost in his thought didn't notice as Severus lead him further in the room, but he did notice when he saw a beautiful oak desk with his school books already piled on top. Next to it was a tall bookshelf with every fairytale book he had ever wished to read in his young life.

Wandering away from Severus's guiding hand Harry walked over to the beautiful books on the shelf and picked the one up that Severus had been reading to him. Clutching the book to his chest Harry turned to look at Severus with tears in his eyes.

"This is brilliant!"

Severus smiled and walked over to the boy. Taking the book out of Harry's hands he set it on the desk, and pulled Harry in his arms. "I'm glad you like it Harry. I have another surprise for you. It was Albus's idea, and I think you'll enjoy it."

Harry nodded against his daddy's chest and mumbled, "How could anything be better than this?"

Severus smiled and couldn't help, but think of how Harry was going to react to the next room that was his. He knew they were spoiling the boy, but if anyone was in need of spoiling it was Harry. He had been deprived of so much that they wanted to give him everything he could possibly want or need in these last few years of his childhood. They knew it wouldn't make up for all he had lost, but it could only help.

"So do you want to see your other room?"

Harry backed up and looked up at Severus confusion written all over his face. "I have _another_ room?"

Severus smiled. "You do."

Harry nodded a little wearily, not really believing that he could have_ two_ rooms. "Can I see it?"

Still smiling Severus nodded. "Come on and I'll show you."

Placing a hand on Harry's shoulder Severus gently guided Harry to a door that was on the opposite side of the room. "This, Harry, is your play room and it's just for you. You can change it however you want and put anything in here."

Harry looked up at the man and then into the room as he opened the door. It was possibly the most beautiful room he had ever seen. The walls had the same pale blue coloring, but there were tree's painted all around and magical animals moving in them. It was like a rain forest; it even had the small noises that a forest would make. The creaking trees and the soft animal noises.

Walking further into the room Harry noticed that the plush carpet that was in his room continued in here. He was glad he liked the soft, fuzzy carpet beneath his feet. Then looking up he saw the far wall lined with long low shelves filled with games and toys of all sorts. There was even a pile of puzzles stacked on one of the shelves.

Harry smiled. He remembered how much he enjoyed putting that puzzle together in Pam's office. Adverting his gaze Harry looked around even more and noticed the table with chairs all around it. He guessed that was where he could pull out the games and play them if he wanted.

Looking around even more the boy spotted a corner that had odd looking toys in it. There was a range of small to large balls with spikes all over them, but they still looked squishy. Looking further he saw that there were other oddly shaped toys that he didn't recognize. Confused, he looked up at his daddy to see whether he would explain for him.

Severus smiled at him. "I bet you're wondering what those things are. Am I right?"

Harry gave a small nod so Severus continued.

"Well, Don thought that it might be good for you have some physical therapy toys. Most of those are for your hand to help strengthen the muscles and get them working right. Some of the other's are there to help you with your range of motion so that you can move around easier. I assume when Don comes by he will show you how to use them.

Again the boy nodded, but he looked at up Severus wearily. "Physical therapy?"

Severus nodded and put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulders. "Yes, you've had many broken bones over the years and this will help strengthen them."

Harry nodded, but turned his head into Severus's side. "Thank you."

The man pulled Harry around so that he was in front of him and Harry's head was resting on his chest, and his arms were securely around the boy. "No need to thank me Harry, this is what you deserve."

The two stood like that for a while until Harry pulled back from Severus's chest and wiped away the happy tears that had fallen from his eyes. "Can...can we see the gardens?"

Severus smiled and nodded. "Why don't you get changed into some more comfortable clothes first. Your shoes and a jacket are already by the door."

Harry nodded and slowly began to move to his bedroom with Severus close behind. When they entered Harry's bedroom again, Severus had to smile when he saw a small back fuzz ball on Harry's bed curled up asleep.

"It looks as if someone likes your new bed."

Smiling Harry nodded and walked over to the bed. Gently he pet the small cat who opened one eye sleepily and let out a soft mew before closing it again.

"I'll meet you downstairs then."

Harry turned to look at his daddy and nodded. When Severus saw the nod he went to the door and quietly closed it behind him.

As soon as Severus left Harry sat on the edge of the bed and the kitten, with a sigh, got up and walked over to rest on his lap. She knew her master needed some kind of comfort because he was nervous about something or another, but she really wished he would have waited until after her nap.

Curling up on Harry's lap the small kitten let the boy pet her soft fur as she purred.

"I just...I just don't know Arwen. It..It seems they really want me here...I mean they have gotten me so much...but...but what happens when they see I'm not worth all this? I know Daddy said he will never hurt me, but what about the Headmaster? At school Daddy said I only have to make sure my room is picked up, but will they make me do the chores here to earn my keep? I mean at school they are both obligated to take care of me, and people are watching...but...but here...it's their home...they can do whatever they want..."

Shaken out of her sleepy state by the boy's words the kitten sat up and gave the boy a glare that would rival Severus's on a bad day.

Looking down at the irate kitten Harry was surprised when he heard a small voice in his head.

"Look here, human child. I may be small, but I still know love when I see it. Those two love you with all their hearts will never ever hurt you. So stop worrying because the look in their eyes tell me they will not."

Harry looked down at the cat who's glare was softening as she spoke with his master. Gently he reached down and scratched her ears. "...But...but how do you know that?"

Shaking off Harry's hand the kitten leaned forward and butted the boy in his stomach gently with her head. "I just know child, you'll have to trust me."

Harry nodded feeling somewhat better. He was still scared that all that might happen, but her little speech made him less on edge.

"Thank you Arwen."

"You're welcome you silly human. Now get changed and meet your daddy so he can show you around outside. I must say there are many tasty mice out there. Catch one for me if you can, they look delectably juicy."

Harry shuddered a little at her description of the mice, but then gently picked her up and placed her back down on the bed.

"I can't promise you anything, but I'll ask Daddy if he could catch one for you."

Harry turned back around to look at the now loudly purring kitten who was kneading on the bed. "Thank you young one."

Harry frowned. "Why do you keep calling me young or child when you are younger than me?"

Sitting back down on the bed the kitten looked up at Harry. "I may be tiny and in years I am younger, but kneazles gain knowledge quicker than your kind. We only have ten weeks were we have to learn everything from our parents where your kind has years."

Harry gave a small nod, understanding where the little fluff ball was coming from and in some strange way it made sense.

Turning back around Harry took his clothing out from the cabinet where the house elf had already placed his things for him. Quickly he changed throwing his dirty clothing in the hamper and making sure that everything else was put away.

When he was finished, Harry walked back over to the bed where the kitten was watching him with her eyes half closed. "Do you want to come out to the gardens with us?"

In response the kitten just opened her mouth in a yawn and then closed her eyes.

Harry smiled and pet her gently on the head. "Alright then, I'll see you later."

With that Harry left the room leaving the door open for the small cat, so that she could come and go as she pleased. Quietly he padded down the hallway and turned down to walk down the stairs. Halfway down the stairs he spotted his daddy smiling at him from where he was sitting on the couch.

"Did you find everything?"

Harry gave a small nod as he continued down the stairs and walked to stand in front of Severus who had gotten up from his seat.

"Good, let's get your shoes and a coat on then and then we can take a little walk around the gardens and I can tell you what sections you are allowed in and what one's are off limits. Some of the plants that I have grown are poisonous, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Again Harry nodded, as Severus led him over to a door where his shoes had been placed, and a coat hung up for him. Quickly he slipped his shoes on and bent down to tie them. When his shoes fit snuggly Severus gave the boy his jacket to put on. Satisfied that Harry was going to be warm enough, Severus opened the door and gently led the boy outside into the cold weather.

As soon as Harry saw the outside of the manor he had to stop for a moment and stare in wonder. In front of him was a huge field that would be perfect for flying his broom. Maybe he could invite Ron over to fly with him sometime. He was sure the other boy would love it.

Closing his mouth, Harry looked around further and saw the beautiful greenhouses that were set close to the house. In total, there were three of them and you could see even from the outside that they were brimming with beautiful flowers and plants.

Looking back up at Severus who smiled down at him Harry couldn't suppress the question that was bubbling up within him. "You planted all of that? When did you find the time?"

Severus let out a small chuckle as he reached over to ruffle Harry's hair fondly. "It did take a lot of work, but it is worth it. Now instead of having to buy ingredients that I don't know whether they are aged correctly I can be sure and just pick my own. It also saves money for our home and the school. Everything you have used from the potion stores at school has come from here."

Harry looked back over at the magnificent greenhouses. "Brilliant."

Smiling Severus gently started to guide Harry forward so he could see the plants for himself. "Indeed. If you would like, we could set up a spot for you to grow some plants."

As the two were walking in the door to the first greenhouse Harry turned and looked at Severus with bright eyes. "Really? I would love that!"

Severus smiled and ruffled his hair again. "I thought you would like that. Tomorrow, we'll see what we can do."

Harry smiled as he looked at the plans in front of him. Seeing the boy's smile Severus continued talking.

"The only part of this greenhouse that is off limits is the back corner. There is an age line that will prevent you from wondering near, but I want to make sure you know not to go near there. The pants over there are used for making dreamless sleep, and just touching them will send you in to a coma."

Harry looked up at Severus with wide eyes. "I won't go near there; I promise!"

Severus smiled at the boy. "I know you won't. Now let's see what else we have here that you can touch and take care of."

Harry nodded and let the man lead him even further into the greenhouse. For the next few hours, Severus and Harry toured the gardens and going through what Harry could and could not touch. They even found a corner that had not been planted yet and had Harry's name written all over it. Severus had to wonder if that had been the old man's doing, because he didn't remember there being a free corner before.

As day turned to night, the two set off back to the house for some dinner. Severus didn't want Harry to be outside after dark even if he was with him. It got chilly here at night, and getting a cold would do neither of them any good.

When they reached the house, both Severus and Harry took off their shoes and jackets by the front door, and an elf popped in before him making Harry jump so high he almost hit the ceiling.

Severus smiled at the small elf as Harry jumped in surprise. "Ah Maya, it's good you popped in. I would like you to meet Harry, my son."

The small elf's eyes lit up as she rushed forward to hug the boy tightly. As she hugged him, she looked up at the boy with wide eye.

"Is good to finally meet Harry Potter! Master Albus says so many good things about you. I is very happy to meet you!"

Harry awkwardly smiled as he suppressed a flinch. He had not expected to be hugged so tightly or touched at all. When the shock wore off, Harry reached over, and patted the elf gently on the back.

"It's good to meet you too...Maya."

The elf jumped back and then jumped up and down clapping her hands. "Oh I is going to have to make special meal tonight! I has to fatten up young Mater after all, just like Master Albus said!"

With a few more jumps and Severus shaking his head at her antics Maya popped away. When she did pop away, Harry looked at Severus and the man couldn't help but burst out in laughter at the shock and surprise on his face.

When Severus calmed down he placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a small smile. "She's quite excitable, isn't she?"

Harry still a little baffled at what had just happened simply nodded and stared where the small elf just was.

Still amused Severus patted Harry on the shoulder. "Don't worry Harry, you'll get used to her. She means no harm and I can guarantee when she does cook, you will swear you haven't had a better meal."

Harry nodded and shook himself out of his stupor by looking over at his daddy. "Is she always like that?"

Severus titled his head back and laughed. "I daresay she was holding back her excitement!"

Harry's eyes bulged out of his head as he looked at Severus. "You mean she was somewhat calm?"

Severus just nodded and patted Harry on the shoulder again. "Come on why don't we have a seat on the couch and wait for dinner. Would you like to do anything, like play chess, or anything else?"

Harry blushed and nodded. "Could we read some from that story book?"

Severus smiled and nodded. "Go and get it from your room and I'll be down here."

Harry nodded and started to run to the staircase vaguely hearing Severus yell after him not to run in the house. Pretending he didn't hear though Harry ran up the stairs and into his bed room finding the book almost immediately. Before he rushed back down the stairs though, he spotted Arwen still napping on the bed.

"It's almost dinner time."

Arwen's head rose and looked at the boy who had just entered. "Did you find me a nice mouse?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I forgot. I think Daddy will let me give you bowl of milk though."

The kitten's ears perked up, and she jumped of the bed. "Lead the way."

Harry smiled and started to walk out of the room with the kitten close behind him. As Harry rushed back down the stairs, Severus watched shaking his head. If he didn't slow down one of these days, he was going to fall down those stairs.

Soon after though, he had a red faced smiling boy in front of him with a kitten close at his heals. Shaking his head once more he patted the couch beside him.

Harry blushed a bit as he looked down at his kitten. "Ummm… could I give some milk to Arwen?"

Severus smiled. "You can, but it's not good to give her too much so this will only be a treat."

Harry nodded and rushed out to the kitchen with the kitten following him. When he opened, the door Harry peaked around the corner and saw the hyper elf working away mixing something in a bowl.

Hearing the noise from the door though the elf around and flashed a smile at the boy. Spying the kitten behind him she had a feeling she knew what he wanted. "You wants some milk for your kitten?"

Harry nodded shyly as the elf went over to the fridge and summoned a bowl. Carefully she poured some of the milk into the bowl and handed it to the boy.

"There you go young master. I set out a carpet over by the table for her food and water; you can set this over there."

Harry nodded and accepted the bowl from the elf. "Thank you."

Smiling the house elf bounced up and down. "Anytimes Master Harry Potter."

Harry walked over to where the elf had said the carpet was and set down the bowl of milk for the kitten.

"There you go Arwen."

The kitten mewed happily and before jumping at the bowl of milk she rubbed her side against Harry's legs purring. Harry smiled and bent down the pet the soft kitten on the head.

"You're welcome."

The small fluff ball just kept lapping up her milk as Harry stood up. He then made his way back to the door and out into the living room.

Quietly he padded over to the couch and sat down next to Severus. He surprised the man by curling into his side and rested his head on his shoulder. All of a sudden he was feeling really tired and a little sad.

Severus pulled Harry back a little and examined Harry's face. "Harry? Are you alright?"

Harry nodded against Severus's side, but the man sensed something was indeed wrong so he gently drew Harry up to sit in his lap.

"Hey now, what is it?"

Harry shook his head with tears in his eyes. "I...I don't know. I...I just feel really sad, but...but I don't know why."

Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and let the boy rest his head against his chest. "It's ok Harry, you're probably just feeling all the stress of the past few days."

Harry nodded against Severus again and closed his eyes tiredly. He really wanted to read some of that story, but this sudden burst of emotions was making him tired.

Severus just sat there and held Harry for a few moments, before he reached over and grabbed the book that Harry had left their earlier. Opening it, he began to read some of the story that Harry had bookmarked to try to calm Harry a little. He knew the boy was probably just over tired and that latest burst of energy of running up and down the stairs had worm him out, but he wanted to keep him awake until he at least had something to eat.

A few chapters later the house elf appeared before Severus, but before she could say anything Severus simply nodded at her and she popped away understanding that he didn't want to startle the boy. She might be an excitable house elf, but she was a sensible one as well.

Gently Severus closed the book and patted Harry on the shoulder. "It's time for dinner, Harry."

Harry lifted his head and looked down at the small kitten that had decided that his lap was the perfect spot to sleep sometime during the story.

"Can I go to bed after that?"

Severus smiled and gently stroked back Harry's hair. "I think that's a good idea."

Harry nodded and started to get up gently moving the kitten over so that when he got up she wouldn't be dumped on the floor. Severus got up as well, stretching out his tired limbs.

He picked up the kitten and gently cradled her against his chest. "Did you give her any kibble tonight?"

Harry shook his head so Severus looked down at the yawning kitten. "Would you like some dinner?"

The small black ball of fuzz let out a small mew. "Alright then, I will take that as a yes. I'll show you where her kibble is kept. You should make sure her bowl is always full. She will make sure she eats enough."

Harry gave a small nod and accepted the fluff ball from Severus and held her close to his chest. "Come on Arwen let's go get you some dinner."

Severus smiled at the boy who was now carrying the kitten to the kitchen. He couldn't help, but think how truly wonderful this kitten would be for Harry. It would give Harry something to care for, but also someone who was not an adult to get advice from.

Sighing sadly, Severus closed his eyes. He knew about Harry's little question fest through Arwen earlier. He had stood outside the boy's door for a few moments to make sure he was alright when he had heard Harry. It had taken everything in him not to burst in the room so he could reassure the boy, but he knew he had to let Harry work some things out on his own, or with the help of Arwen. He felt so guilty that Harry was still hurting though, all he wanted was Harry to be a happy and healthy child.

Opening his eyes again Severus remembered the joy he had seen in Harry's eyes as he saw his new home and gardens. With a smile, he knew that was what was going to get them through all this. He vowed to make that smile and light appear in Harry's eyes as much as possible.

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><p>When the two finished dinner Severus followed Harry upstairs, but went to his own room as Harry went to his to change into his pajamas. A few minutes later when he was sure Harry was decent, Severus walked out of his bedroom and over to Harry's. Gently he knocked on the door and called out to the boy.<p>

When he opened the door, he saw Harry laying in the bed with the kitten laying on the pillow next to him.

Smiling, Severus came in and sat down in the chair next to Harry's bed. "How do you like your new bed? Is it comfortable?"

Harry nodded against the pillows. "It's wonderful."

Severus nodded. "Tell me if anything is uncomfortable. We can change anything you want."

Seeing Harry nod again Severus pulled out the story book. "Would you like me to read some more or do you want to go to bed?"

"Can I go to bed? I'm really sleepy."

Severus smiled. "Of course you can."

The man put the book down and got up from his seat so that he could gently tuck Harry in all the way. When he was sure, Harry was comfortable Severus bent down and kissed Harry on the forehead.

"Sleep well my child. I love you."

"I love you too daddy."

Harry closed his eyes, but Severus stayed by his side stroking back his hair gently until he was sure the boy was fast asleep. Then removing his hand he reached over to pet the small kitten.

"Watch over him for me while he sleeps."

Opening one eye the kitten let out a soft mew in agreement.

With that Severus gave the kitten one last pet and then left the room setting off to Floo Don. He just wanted to make sure his assessment with Harry's feeling earlier had been correct.

Coming back downstairs Severus threw the green powder in the fireplace and called out the Healer's name. The man came into focus in seconds, but only nodded and asked Severus to step back so he could come through.

Stepping through Don came over and rested a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder and smiled at him.

"I take it Harry is sleeping peacefully?"

Severus nodded, but Don sensing something was wrong started to guide him to the couch.

"Tell me what's wrong Severus."

Severus sighed and then told him what had happened before dinner and what he had heard before heading to the greenhouse.

"Harry is acting perfectly normal. He is coping with everything that has happened to him and every so often he will get boughs of sadness for no apparent reason. Partially from the stress of everything that has happened and also from just pure exhaustion. It's a good thing Albus thought a rest was necessary for the both of you. I believe if we had thrown him back into school with how exhausted his core is he this could have turned into a depression. With some time and rest though, I am sure he will fight that off."

Severus nodded and put his head in his hands. Don just sat there and patted his back.

"Hey, it's ok Severus. He will be just fine."

Severus rose his head. "I know, but it's so hard to watch him when he's not alright."

Don started rubbing soothing circles on his back. "I know it is Severus, but you are being such a good dad, and he loves you so much. You can't fix everything at once; it takes time."

Severus smiled and nodded. "I know and thank you Don. As always you know just what to say."

Smiling Don nodded. "I only speak the truth. Now why don't you go get some sleep too. I see those bags under your eyes."

Sighing Severus stood. "Alright you win."

Don rose an eyebrow as he stood. "Stubborn man."

Severus turned and rolled his eyes. "You never cease to amuse me."

With a laugh, Don patted Severus on the shoulder and headed to the Floo. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Severus nodded and headed up stairs to his bed while Don Flooed back home satisfied that both his boy's were alright for the moment.

As Severus walked up the stairs he tiredly Nox-ed all the lights off downstairs, and in the hallway once he reached his room. Quickly he pulled on his pajamas and was asleep within moments. Done was right he needed sleep.

Not twenty minutes later though he was awoken by a scream. Harry was having a nightmare, and it sounded like an awful one.

Swinging his feet off the edge of the bed he pulled on his robe as he ran from the room and opened the door to Harry's.

Taking a deep breath and waiting a moment to wake the boy Severus stood watching as Harry screamed in his sleep and the kitten was trying to gently wake her master with her tongue. Severus knew that might work if Harry was not distressed, but not now when the poor thing was reliving something horrible. Nightmares were awful, they might not hurt you physically, but they really hurt your mind.

Gently Severus moved the kitten who hissed at him for not giving her notice of his movement. Ignoring her for just a moment Severus wrapped the blanked around Harry and gently lifted the boy up into his arms while leaning back on the bed so that he could hold Harry in a comfortable position.

Laying Harry's head on his shoulder Severus gently started to rub soothing circles on the boy's back and running his fingers through his hair ignoring the flinches his touch brought every so often.

Calmly he started to mumble soft words into Harry's ear, and slowly Harry began to wake up. When the screaming did stop and Harry's eyes flew open he launched himself on Severus.

"You're here! You're here!"

A little surprised Severus took a moment to respond, but when he did it was to reassure the boy that yes, he was there and he always would be.

Many soothing words later, Harry was calming down slowly, but surely. Severus pulled the boy back a bit and looked at his tear stained face. Now came for the part he really hated, trying to get the child to talk.

"Do you want to tell me about it, Harry?"

Blinking his eyes, Harry just mumbled, "you're here, you're here" over and over again.

Shifting Harry so they were in more of a sitting position Severus nodded again. "Yes Harry, I'm here."

Harry launched himself back onto Severus startling the man again. Gently he patted Harry's back and decided that maybe it would be best for Harry to try to get some more sleep at the moment than tell him what his dream was. It seemed that the boy was still too dazed to receive any benefit from it and was just too upset.

"Would you like to come back to bed with me?"

Harry nodded against his chest vigorously so Severus got up from the bed and closely followed by the kitten went to his room. He would have just slept with Harry in his bed, but it was really two small for the both of them and Severus's bed was big enough so that he didn't have to worry about kicking the kitten or Harry rolling out.

Reaching his room Severus set the boy gently down on the bed, but Harry reached forward to try to grab onto Severus stopping him from leaving. Fortunately for Severus he saw it coming and moved at just the right time. He had just had a brainstorm, and he hoped this would help calm the boy.

"I'll be right back Harry. I'm just going to get some warm milk for you to drink. Stay here with Arwen and I'll be right back."

Harry just nodded, but couldn't help the few small tears that left his eyes. He didn't want his daddy to go anywhere; he wanted him to stay with him when he was feeling so scared.

In mere moment, though Severus was back with a glass filled with warm milk. He came over to Harry and gently helped Harry sit up against the pillows.

"Drink this Harry. It will help you calm down and feel more sleepy."

Harry nodded and started to take sips of the soothing warm milk. What he didn't know was that Severus had spiked the milk with his special calming potion that Don had given him for the nightmares. He knew the milk would do Harry some good, but the potion intertwined with it would just make it more potent and keep Harry from dwelling on his scared feelings.

When Harry was, half finished he held the glass out and Severus took it. "Are you finished?"

The boy gave a small nod and leaned into Severus side who put the glass aside on the bedside table.

"Do you want to tell me what your dream was about now?"

Harry looked down and shook his head, but Arwen came up and butted her head against the boy's hand. Reaching down Harry began to pet the kitten and nodded.

Severus reached over and gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Whenever you are ready Harry, I'm here."

Harry sighed and started to wipe the teas from his face with his sleeve, but Severus stopped him and handed him a handkerchief which Harry took gratefully.

Another few moments of silence passed, but then Harry opened his mouth and all that had happened at the Diaz's spilled out. Starting from the moment he got there until the moment Don had rescued him. Severus had known the big picture from Don's description of his wounds, but hearing it from Harry was a whole different story. He wanted to kill that Death Eater all over again that had hurt his boy. How could that woman take part in harming a child? Didn't she have any compassion? He was glad she was locked away; otherwise, he would be hunting her down at this very moment.

When Harry was finished spilling his soul Severus pulled Harry into his lap and gently hugged him close. "Thank you for telling me all that Harry. You are such a brave boy and so very, very special. You are not dirty at all. You are a wonderful little boy who deserves to be loved and not hurt. Here you will never be hurt by anyone. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe. You won't ever have to earn your keep."

Severus supposed it wouldn't hurt to address Harry's fears from earlier.

Harry nodded against Severus's shoulder and closed his eyes. The potion was now taking effect on his tired body, and he was very sleepy. Gently Severus stroked back Harry's hair and laid him down on the bed.

"There you go Harry; I'll be right here with you."

Harry nodded and snuggled into the covers with Arwen sitting protectively on his chest. Tucking him in fully Severus got up and sat in the chair for a moment to clear his head of all the images Harry had given him.

Closing his eyes, Severus started to take calming breaths and occlude his mind banishing those thoughts from his mind. He needed sleep, not another sleepless night.

When Severus felt himself calm enough he got up from the chair and went back over to the sleeping boy on his bed. Gently he got in trying not to disturb him, but as soon as Harry felt his presence he rolled over and buried his head in his chest.

Sighing Severus snaked his arms around Harry and pulled him close. After everything Harry had been through if all Harry needed was a comforting arm around his shoulders as he slept than he would do that. At least, while he was healing.

With another sigh, Severus closed his eyes and rested his chin on Harry's head falling asleep with the thought of his boy healing and just how long it was going to take.


	28. Memories

**Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoy this next chapter! I just literally sat down for two hours to write and this came out of me. **

**Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Those are perfect quotes!**

**tlkatch - As much as I wish I could say yes, I can't. I feel like the relationship between them would be inappropriate. Considering that she is Harry's social worker if she had a romantic relationship with Severus it would call into question all her judgements and put Harry in danger from being removed.**

**purple- No offense taken! Everyone has their own opinions, especially on spanking. How I see it though is it all depends on the child. What works with one child might not work with the next and I think parents should take that into consideration especially when it comes to discipline. A lot don't, and I think that is where the mistake is made.**

**Lee - Thank you for saying something about Hedwig! There are so many different characters to play with that I have a tendency to forget about some. I will try to incorporate her soon, I promise! :)**

**Kyoto-Caitlyn - Thank you! As I just said I'll try to get Hedwig in there soon!**

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><p>For next few months, Harry and Severus fell into a comfortable routine. Every morning Severus would gently wake the boy from his sleep, and they would both get ready for the day. Then, they would head downstairs and Harry would help Severus prepare their breakfast and after taking their potions they would eat their fill. When they were finished Maya would pop in and start to clean up, per her and Severus's agreement. It was the only way she would let him cook. Otherwise, she would be looking over their shoulder at every movement.<p>

After breakfast, the two read or played some games together until Pam arrived around ten. Then, Severus would leave to brew some potions for Hogwarts and Pamela and Harry would work on their studies for a few hours until lunch.

When lunch rolled around Pam would leave the two to their lunch that was prepared by Maya and when they were finished with lunch, they would then head out the greenhouses. Severus had set up Harry's plant corner full of flowers and magical plants so that he could care for them and watch them grow. He knew the boy would enjoy the activity and thought that it might teach a little responsibility along the way.

After a few hours taking care of all the plants, Don would come by and steal Harry for a bit so that they could talk about the Dursley's, the fake Diaz's, and how he was doing in general. The Healer and boy would then utilize some of the physical therapy toys to try to strengthen his muscles and gain his range of motion back to where it should be.

Dinner time would come soon after that, and Don would leave the two to a fantastic meal from Maya. They would then go upstairs and Severus would read to Harry from his story book until Harry became sleepy. When the boy's eyes started to close from a long day Severus would leave for a few moments for Harry to change and then come back to tuck him into bed.

After the first few nights of horrible nightmares, Severs had started to occlude Harry's mind again with Don's blessing. Neither of them wanted to see Harry suffer any more than he already had. Unfortunately, even with that precaution a few nightmares slipped by and made all of them weary with sleep the next day.

Harry after the first week had even started sleeping in his own bed for the entire night instead of waking up and crawling in with Severus for comfort. It really showing that he was becoming comfortable in his new home and for that Severus was glad. Not that he didn't enjoy being close to his boy, but he knew Harry had to learn to be on his own.

Those were the good days though, the bad ones were more difficult for the both of them and were far from infrequent.

On those days, Harry almost always ended up crying in Severus's arms and his kitten trying to comfort him from his lap. What sent Harry to have those breakdowns could be anything? A flashback from something that had happened at the Dursley's, a worry that he had done something wrong or even just pure tiredness.

Those were the days Severus dreaded. He hated seeing his child like that. He always looked so small, and vulnerable, and it broke his heart every time.

To come back to the present, Severus was hoping with all his might that today would be a good day for Harry. It was October, 31st and the man had a feeling that no matter how much he hoped for a good day that it was just not to be.

Harry woke up slowly this morning and with many encouragements from Severus. Already, a sign that today was not to be good. And when he did get up, much to Severus's dismay, it seemed that Harry was already in a mood.

Sadness echoed through his eyes, and he seemed to be just dragging his body to accomplish things. Concerned his kitten followed him everywhere he went that morning including the bathroom when he had to take care of necessities. Obviously, it was only a matter of time before Harry broke down and the kitten knew the boy would try to hide.

Even through Severus and the kitten could not talk to one another; they had worked out a sort of agreement on these days. Where Severus could not be, the kitten would follow the child and alert him if something were amiss.

After showering and dressing, Harry went back to his room and sat heavily on the bed making it bounce a few times. His kitten soon followed him and jumped up onto his lap and butted her head against his hand prompting him to stroke her soft fur.

Moments later Severus knocked on the door frame to gain the boy's attention. Normally, Harry would come down to help him with breakfast after he was dressed so Severus had come back up to see if Harry was alright.

Harry looked up at Severus and let out a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Hi daddy."

Severus came further in the room and sat down next to the boy on the bed. "Are you feeling ok child? You look a little pale."

Harry nodded, but looked back down at the kitten who was purring calmingly. Severus sighed and gently reached forward and placed a hand on the boy's forehead. A few seconds later he removed it with a small smile.

"Well, you don't have a fever. Is there something on your mind?"

Harry continued to look down at his kitten, but then lifted her out of her lap and launched himself at the pillows at the top of the bed hugging them fiercely to his chest and a deep sob came out making his back heave.

Immediately, Severus moved closer to the top of the bed and gently rested a hand on Harry's back. "Hey now, everything's ok."

Harry shook his head against his pillow while more sobs racked his body. Gently Severus rubbed Harry's back for a few moments, but then stopped and scooped Harry up into his arms. As soon as he did Harry buried his face in Severus's robes and clutched on as tight as he could.

Holding Harry close to his chest Severus got up and moved to the rocking chair that Don had gotten him after mentioning that it would be nice to have one when he was trying to comfort Harry. Gently Severus sat down and started to rock back and forth.

For a while the two sat there like that, until Harry's crying calmed down a bit and he started hiccuping.

Tenderly Severus started to rub his back again. "Do you want to tell me what is wrong?"

Quietly Harry started to mumble, but it was just loud enough for Severus to hear. "Todays the day...that..that..."

Understanding filled through Severus as he realized what day it actually was. Gently he pulled Harry a little closer and rocked back and forth in the chair.

"Shhhh I know Harry, I know. It's alright to be upset, you can cry all you want."

And Harry did, he cried some of the most heart wrenching sobs Severus had ever heard into his shoulder. It broke Severus's heart to hear Harry cry for his lost parents. Eleven years ago today was the day Harry had become an orphan.

Eventually, when Severus was worried Harry was going to make himself sick he summoned a calming potion and gently fed it to the boy. With Harry's grip loosened somewhat and the boy's face now facing the room instead of his Daddy's robes Severus placed a gentle hand on the boy's cheek.

"Feel better now?"

Harry gave a small nod. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize for being sad Harry. You lost two people who you loved and before you really got a chance to know them. I would be surprised and concerned if you never did feel sad."

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. "Can...can...we go see their...graves?"

Severus nodded as he shifted Harry up a bit so that they were both a bit more comfortable. "Yes, whenever you want and that's from now on too. Whenever you would like to visit them just let me know."

The boy turned to bury his face in Severus's soft robes. "Can...can we go tonight?"

"Yes, we can. Would you like to visit their home as well?"

Severus figured if they were going to do this, they might as well get all of it out of the way. He didn't particularly want to visit his best friends grave and home, but he knew that was what his boy needed at the moment. He remembered how much visiting Lily's grave after she had died had helped him and he hoped that it would bring some sort of closure for the boy.

For a moment he thought that it would be a good idea to invite Albus or Don to come along with them, but then he looked down at the boy and realized that it would be better if he did this alone with his son. The child didn't need to be crowded, he just needed a set a warm arms that he could cling to if he needed them and Severus predicted that was just what Harry was going to need.

One last time Harry nodded into Severus's shoulder. Gently the man brought a hand up and rested it lightly on the back of Harry's head gently stroking his hair. Sighing contently Harry finally relaxed under his daddy's touch now that he was both worn out and relieved that he had a big weight lifted off of his chest.

He always felt like that after a big cry. While he was so upset he felt so weak, an almost teenager who was crying like a baby. But afterward, when his Daddy was still rubbing soothing circles into his back and gently running his fingers through his hair he felt relieved. Relieved that everything that had been bothering him was off his chest and that his Daddy still loved him.

The two sat like that for a long time, until Maya popped in quietly and pointed to the table in Harry's playroom. As with everyone else in the household she had learned Harry's moods and just how to act around them.

Understanding that she had left some breakfast for them Severus nodded in thanks. He really did love that elf at times like these.

Gently he pulled Harry back from his robes and conjured up a warm washcloth so he could clean his face. "Are you hungry Harry?

The boy gave a small nod and let the man clean off his face. He knew he was too old for this kind of treatment, but he didn't want Severus to stop either. He had been so deprived of this kindness when he was growing up that he figured that he was making up for lost times.

When Severus was finished cleaning Harry up he banished the washcloth and carefully helped Harry onto his feet. Smiling Severus stood up as well and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder who flinched.

Closing his eyes for a moment Severus sighed. He knew it was of no fault to Harry, but it was truly sad how much he had regressed in his healing just because of one night. The boy had gotten a lot better over the past few months, but still those flinches still came more frequently than Severus preferred.

Opening his eyes he smiled at the boy and gently led him to the other room so that he could get something in his stomach.

Walking through the door Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the full spread laid out for them and Severus just rolled his eyes. That elf really did dote on them, but he did have to admit that it was mostly thanks to her that Harry had gained a little more than a stone and was just about a healthy weight for his age. Remarkably they had even managed to wean Harry off the nutrition potion he had been taking to make up for what he had missed.

Patting Harry on the shoulder Severus gently pushed him forward to the table. "Go on and take a seat Harry."

Harry did as he was bid and took a seat at the table. Severus sat down across from him and began to serve Harry's plate for him as he had not started to serve himself. He piled on copious amount of food to the plate that he knew the boy would not finish, but he also knew it would at least encourage the boy to finish it all.

"As always, eat as much as you can Harry."

The boy nodded and picked up his fork to begin to eat almost wolfing down the glorious breakfast Maya had made them. Smiling Severus picked his own fork up and began eating his own meal.

When they were both finished the dishes popped away and Severus rolled his eyes. "I swear that house elf lives to spoil us."

Harry let out a smile, the first one all morning. He was starting to feel a little better since he had cried his heart out, but still his heart was hurting for what he had lost on this day so many years ago.

Severus reached over and patted Harry on the hand to break him out of his faraway thoughts. "Harry?"

The boy shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked at his Daddy in front of him.

Smiling Severus again patted him on the hand, but this time more to comfort him than anything. "Do you want to head out now or do you want to go later Harry? I believe Don and Pamela were giving you the day off anyway because it's Halloween."

Harry looked at Severus, then looked down at his kitten who was giving him a stern look as she sat down by his feet.

"You could have given me a warning you were going to throw me. Before you protest, I am coming with you."

The boy blushed. "Sorry Arwen, I didn't mean to throw you."

"Silly Human." The cat jumped up into his lap and started to purr to show that she forgave him.

Smiling Harry looked down at the small fluff ball, but then he looked up at his daddy. "Can we go now? Arwen says that she won't let me leave without her."

Severus rose an eyebrow and looked at the kitten. "Did she now?"

The kitten looked up at Severus with a scolding look and Severus swore that nothing so sever should ever come out of anything so cute.

"Well then, I guess she will have to come with us then. Why don't you go get ready and meet me downstairs in about a half hour?"

Harry gave a small nod and let the kitten jump out of his lap. He then got off the chair himself and went back to his bedroom to get ready to go out since he had just dressed for a day indoors. Severus followed the boy into his room, but then left to go into the hallway gently closing the door behind him so that Harry could have some privacy.

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><p>Twenty minutes later Harry walked down the stairs shyly with his kitten behind him. Spotting him Severus smiled at the boy and came over to the bottom of the stairs.<p>

Bending down slightly Severus placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "I just flooed Albus. I wanted to inform him of where we were going. He asked if we could leave some flowers for him. Is that ok Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod.

"Alright then. Are you ready to go?"

Again Harry nodded, but he drew something forward that Severus had not seen before. It was a stuffed animal of a male deer that Severus had gotten him a few weeks ago.

"Would you like to leave that for them as well?"

Looking down Harry nodded. "Is...is that alright?"

Smiling Severus gave Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It is more than ok Harry. We'll stop by the flower store too and pick up some lilies and roses to leave as well."

"Thank you Daddy."

Straitening Severus shook his head. "No need to thank me Harry. Why don't you go put your jacket on and I'll be right there."

With one last squeeze of the shoulder, Severus removed his hand, and smiled as the boy went off to do as he had said. When he saw Harry stat to pull on his shoes and jacket, he went back upstairs to grab something that he long thought he could not part with. He now knew that this was the right time to part with it.

Grabbing the artifact and putting it securely in his pocket Severus went back downstairs and met Harry by the door. Quickly he put on his own jacket and shoes and joined Harry by the door.

Holding the stuffed toy to his chest Harry looked up at Severus who smiled at him gently. "Let's go. Is there anywhere else you would like to go while we're out?"

Harry shook his head. On Harry's good days they sometimes took trips to the local park or library in the late afternoon, but other than that they had rarely ventured out. Harry had become uncomfortable around strangers in close quarters.

It would take Harry even more time to get over his new fear and Severus could only curse those damn death eaters.

With a nod Severus placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder and opened the front door. Carefully Severus led Harry outside and closed the door behind them. They then set off down the street to where Harry had once lived.

They had not ventured this way yet as Severus's hadn't thought that Harry was ready to see where his parents had lived, but Harry had asked to visit today, and he would uphold his promise of taking him there.

When they reached the falling down house Severus gave Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "This was their home Harry."

Still starring at the house Harry walked forward a little more with his kitten and Severus following close behind. It was almost as if he was in a trace starring at the run down home.

Worriedly Severus reached out again and placed a gentle hand on Harry's back. "Are you alright Harry?"

Still in a trace Harry just continued to walk to the door.

"Harry?"

Severus's slightly risen voice startled Harry and he looked back at the man.

"Harry, are you alright?"

The boy gave a small nod. "Yeah, I'm alright. Can...can we go inside?"

The man was tempted to say no, that it was too dangers, but he knew that this was going to bring some closure to his child.

"Yes, we can Harry. But, there are a few rules. You have to stay by me at all times; it's been out of use for some time. Also, you have to watch where you step and be very carful where you put your feet."

Harry nodded. He was ok with that, the building was a little scary and he would prefer to be by his Daddy anyway.

Seeing the nod Severus nodded as well and started to guide the boy forward so that they could get this over with. He remembered very well the last time he was here and ever since he had avoided this place like the plague.

When they reached the door Severus noticed the kitten still trailing behind them and bent down to pick her up. He then handed her to Harry who accepted her in his arms, but then she climbed up to sit on his shoulders.

"We don't want her to fall through any loose boards or get lost, it's better if she's off the ground."

Reaching up Harry scratched Arwen's ears and nodded. "Are you alright up there Arwen?"

In reply the kitten let out a small mew and purred like mad while butting her head against his neck.

Smiling at the kitten antics Harry again reached up to scratch her ears. "I'll take that as a yes."

Again, Severus was very glad that Albus had gotten Harry that kitten. She was so good for Harry, and it spoke volumes that she could make him smile even when they were about to go inside of Harry's parent's home.

With that thought Severus opened the door with the key he had gotten from Albus who had foreseen that Harry might want to go inside.

It took a few kicks for the door to open because of it swelling into the door frame, but eventually the door opened and gently Severus led Harry inside.

Looking around Severus saw that the only thing that had changed from that faithful night had been age. The couches were still astray in the living room, and the kitchen looked as though a hurricane had come threw. There were still even baby bottles strewn on the floor.

Walking to the kitchen Harry bent down and picked up the bottle holding it in one hand. "This was mine."

Taking a breath Severus gave a small nod. "It was. Would you like to take it home?"

He knew other people might find it strange for them to take something out of the home that had once belonged to him. Especially something as insignificant as a baby bottle. But Severus understood.

It was a part of Harry's past that he didn't remember, and he desperately wanted to. Since he couldn't though he might want to take something back to remind him that his childhood hadn't always been riddled with bruises and broken bones. It was kind of like how parents held onto certain things their children had once owned.

Harry gave a small nod so Severus held out his hand to take it. Hesitantly Harry handed it over, but as soon as Severus took it he just shrank it and then handed it back to the boy.

"Stick it in your pocket. It's easier to carry it that way."

Harry gave a small smile and nodded. He was glad that his Daddy was so understanding. He knew most people would have made him leave it behind or made fun of him.

Moving on the two went to the sitting room and saw much of the same. Upturned chairs and couches, shredded drapes, and other signs that something significant had happened.

Something caught Harry's eyes though, and with Severus closely behind him he walked over to an upturned table covered in dust. Through all the dust, there was a glint of something silver and very carefully Harry picked it up.

It was an old picture frame. And in the picture frame there was a magical picture of him and his parents. He looked as if he was taking his first steps into his mom's arms and behind her was a kind, smiling man who had mousy brown hair, deep brown eyes and scars all down his face.

Harry was memorized by the photo; he had not expected to find something so precious. Closing his eyes he brought the thing to his chest and let out a calming breath. He had promised himself he would not cry again today.

Severus sensed the boy's mood though, honestly the boy kept everything written all over his face, and gently gave the boy's shoulder a squeeze. "What do you have there?"

Harry looked up at the man and showed him the picture.

Smiling Severus nodded. "Your mother told me of that day. She was so proud of you taking your first steps. If you want me to shrink it just hand it to me and I will."

Harry looked back down at the photo of him stumbling and eventually getting his footing. "Do..do you know who that is behind my mum?"

Severus looked down and gave a slight grimace, but then schooled his face. He didn't want the boy to think badly of the werewolf just because he had a bad experience with the furrier part of the man. The man _had_ after all been trying hard these last few months to be friendly towards him.

"That is Remus Lupin. He was a good friend of your parents, and the person Albus and I told you that might come visit with your godfather."

"That's him?"

"That is Harry."

"I...I kinda remember him...I mean not really...but his laugh...he was always laughing."

Sadly Severus smiled he was sure the last time the wolf had laughed in these many years had been with the boy. Life had been hard on him since Lily and Potter had died. He may not like the man completely, but he wasn't going to pretend he had it easy when he knew it was far from it.

"Would you like to meet him?"

Harry looked up at his Daddy and thought for a moment. The Headmaster and his Daddy had asked him several times these last few months if he was ready to meet them, but so far he had shaken his head violently not wanting to be near anyone new. Now though, that he had seen one of the men and had remembered, however faint that warm laugh he kind of wanted to. At the very least to see whether it was indeed the man he remembered.

"Not now...but...but maybe in a while."

Severus nodded knowing that this somewhat of a break threw. Coming around he wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders. "I am so proud of you Harry."

Confused Harry looked up at the man. Why was he proud of him? What did he do?

Smiling Severus bent down and kissed Harry on the head. "For just being you Harry. I'm proud of you for being you."

Deciding to shrug off his Daddy statement Harry nodded. He knew that sometimes he would never understand where is Daddy was coming from. He then handed the photo to the man and watched as he shrank it.

Sticking it in his pocket Harry grabbed Severus's hand and the two started to venture up the stairs very carefully. There were a few broken boards going up and Severus wanted to make sure Harry didn't fall.

When they reached the top, they wandered down the hall and into the first bedroom to the right. It looked like a guest room and was fairly untouched by events; it was just covered by ten years of dust.

Seeing that there was nothing there worthy of exploring in the guest room Harry walked back out into the hall and pushed on the next door down the hall. The door creaked open on rusty hinges and stopped as it hit the wall.

Inside was a large bed in the middle of the room that was flipped over with the sheets strewed on the floor. What appeared to be the bedside table was thrown across the room and all the draws were open. Everything else in the room seemed untouched as if it was frozen in time.

Severus took a deep breath as he followed Harry in the room. He knew just who's room this was, and it hurt his heart to be in here again. He remembered the last time he was in here. It was 'that night' after everything had happened.

Feeling the small locket still tucked safely in his pocket Severus closed his eyes. He had taken that locket from this very room that night. Cupping the locket gently Severus took another deep breath. He could do this. He could do this for Harry.

While Severus had been deep in his thoughts Harry had ventured forward and was looking at the dusty contents of the bedside table. Turning back around Harry looked at his Daddy.

"This was my parent's room, wasn't it?"

Severus gave a soft nod. "It was."

Harry looked back down at the bed side table and kneeled down to look more closely at the contents and brushed back a bit of the dust making him cough slightly. It was worth it though when Harry saw just what was beneath ten years of dust.

It was a stuffed bear that had a tag around it's neck that said, "to my dear Harry".

Picking it up carefully Harry didn't hear Severus come up behind him.

"What did you find Harry?"

Looking over his shoulder at his Daddy Harry just held it up a bit more so that he could see. Words were caught in his throat at the moment. He had not expected to find anything here when he had told Severus that he would like to see the house. Heck he hadn't even thought they were going to be able to come inside.

"I remember that bear. The few times I saw you when you were young that bear was attached to you like an appendage."

Harry looked back down at the bear and nodded slowly. "Can...can..."

Severus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and the gently kitten butted her head against him.

"Yes Harry, you can take him home."

Harry stood up with a hand from Severus. Carefully he handed the stuffed deer to him so that he could carry his new/old bear with him. With a smile Severus shrunk the deer and put it in his pocket next to the locket.

"I'll keep it safe for you Harry."

Harry gave a small nod and then started to walk out the door. Apparently being in this room was a bit much for him just as it was for Severus, but for very different reasons.

Coming back into the hallway Harry peaked into another room, but when he saw it was just a bathroom he backed out and went to the last door down the hall.

As Harry entered Severus closed his eyes for a moment. He knew this room well, this was where everything had happened. This is where he had found her; this is where Lily had died.

Just how he remembered the room Severus saw the tipped over crib and the hole in the ceiling where the curse had rebounded.

As if in a trace Harry went over and sat down next to the crib bringing up the blankets that were still there. Hugging them to his body he ignored the dust that he was now covered in.

"Mummy"

Shaking himself out of his own trance Severus came over and knelt down before Harry.

"Child, come here."

Gently Severus drew Harry into his arms and hugged him to his chest. Taking a deep breath Severus prepaid himself to comfort the boy even though his own heart was hurting for what he had lost that night.

"This...this is where...the green light...Mummy.."

Severus closed his eyes and held back his tears. He could not lose it in front of Harry, he had to be strong for his child who apparently remembered that awful night. Knowing that he couldn't ponder just how Harry remembered at this moment Severus hugged Harry closer to his chest.

"I know Harry, I know."

Burring his head in Severus's robes Harry took in a deep breath and let the tears flow. Wrapping herself securely around Harry's neck the small kitten purred gently to try to do what she could to comfort the boy. Severus just held on tightly to the child and hoped beyond hope that after this day that maybe Harry would have some sort of closure. He knew it was a lot to ask for, but he just wanted his boy to heal and live a happy life.

Gently Severus sat down and drew the boy so that he was sitting on his lap and no longer had the dirty sheets in his hands.

The two sat on the floor of the abandoned building for quite some time, until Harry calmed down to just hiccups. Severus didn't want to rush his child with his grief, he knew that Harry would only be able to get up when he was ready to and no sooner.

When he was ready, Harry pulled back from Severus's chest and gave him a teary smile.

"I'm ok Daddy."

Severus smiled back down at Harry and reached down to brush the hair from his face. "I know you are Harry and know that I love you very much."

"I love you too Daddy...and...and thank you."

Reaching over to scratch the kitten's ear Severus's face softened a bit more. "You don't have to thank me for loving you Harry. I will love you no matter what."

"No, thank you for saving me. You saved me. That night...and from the Dusley's."

Moving his hand from scratching the kitten's ear to rest on Harry cheek Severus looked at the boy intently.

"You remember me that night?"

Harry closed his eyes soaking in the comfort Severus was offering while he gave a tiny nod.

"You came...and held mum...for a long time...then...then you came over and picked me up. Dumbledore came and you handed me to him...but you kept me safe till he came."

Looking down at Harry Severus nodded. He promised himself that he would not cry, but a lone tear fell down the man's face. "I did."

"Are you sad Daddy?"

Severus wiped away the tear that had betrayed his emotions. "That there was a need to protect you, yes."

Harry reached forward and hugged his Daddy. "I'm ok though, please don't be sad."

Returning the hug Severus looked down at his miraculous son. He could be grieving one moment and the next as soon as he had shown the slightest hint that he was sad the child was trying to comfort him.

Pulling back slightly Severus smiled down at the child. "Harry, I'm alright. Why don't we get up and go home though? I am sure Maya has some lunch ready for us."

Harry shook his head. "Can...can we see their...graves before we go home? Please?"

Severus gave a small nod and thought up a compromise so that Harry would have something to eat. The boy had been doing so good with food lately, but still he didn't want him to miss a meal.

"Why don't I call Maya and ask her to pack some sandwiches for us. We can eat in the park and then head down there."

Harry nodded his head. "Ok."

"Maya!"

The bubbly house elf appeared before them jumping up and down. "Yous want Maya to clean this house? Oh, thank you Master Severus!"

Severus smiling shook his head, but then looked down at Harry. Maybe they would fix up this house for Harry to have if he wanted it. It was in his name after all.

"Not now Maya, but could you fix us a picnic? We were going to take our lunch in the park."

The elf comically put her hand to her forehead and made a solute. "Yes Sir!"

As she popped away Severus shook his head in amusement, but when he looked down at the boy and saw a smile he smiled too. Even with puffy eyes and a tear stained face Harry still had most winning smile he had ever seen.

Reluctantly Severus made a move to stand and helped Harry up as well. When they were standing Severus bent down and started to brush away the dust that was now covering himself and then looked over at Harry.

Seeing the still puffy eyes Severus pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Harry. "Here you are Harry."

Nodding Harry took the handkerchief and wiped away all the tears that had fallen. He then handed back the piece of material to his Daddy and wiped away the dust from his clothing.

As he was wiping his clothing somewhat clean, the elf popped back in with a basket in hand. "I has your lunch! Remember to take the potions in there too and if you don't I will know!"

The elf waged her finger at the Potion Master and then looked over at the boy with a big smile.

"Now, you eats a good meal too, understand? Maya still has to put more weight on you!"

Harry nodded dutifully at the elf.

"Good. Now, I'll be seeing you twos at dinner tonight."

With, that the elf popped away and Harry looked over at a still amused Severus and grabbed his hand.

"Can we go now?"

Severus smiled. "Yes, let's go have some lunch."

* * *

><p>Back in the Headmaster's office things were not going as smoothly as Albus had hoped they would. While Severus and Harry met, their daemon's head on Albus met his in a different fashion. All the mistakes he had made in the past were coming back to haunt him.<p>

Sirius had been released from Azkaban, but it seemed that was the only good thing that came out of these last few months for the man.

Seeing Remus had been great for the newly freed man, but it seemed that the dementors had done serous damage to him. So much so that Don had asked a friend of him to watch him for suicide so that Remus didn't have all the responsibility on his shoulders. It also gave not only Sirius someone to talk to, but Remus as well. It took a toll on the werewolf to see his friend in such shape.

Slowly, but steadily Sirius had gotten better over the last few months, but Albus knew that it would be a few months still before he was well enough to see Harry.

On the subject of Harry, Sirius had perked up wanting to know what had happened to his godson, but when he had heard that he was staying with Severus and that the man had adopted him he didn't take it well. At all.

Not only did Remus, Albus, and the Don's friend have to restrain him from 'rescuing Harry from the greasy git', but they also had to sedate him.

When he awoke everyone there tried to reassure the man that Harry was being well-taken care of and that he was actually happy with Severus, but it seemed to no avail. All the work and progress of the past month seemed lost as Sirius wasn't talking to anyone and had fallen into a deep depression.

With time Sirius slowly got over his latest blow, but had not revised his view of Severus and was at the moment sitting in front of Albus's desk, ranting.

"Sirius, Harry is happy living with Severus."

Sirius got up and walked the length of the room with his hands behind his back. "But how could he be happy with _him_!"

Remus with a sigh got out of his seat and went to place a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sirius please, we've been over this. Harry loves Severus like a father and Severus loves him like a son."

"How? How could that git _love _anyone? I mean he is a slimy slytherin, they can't love anything except for themselves!"

With sad eyes Remus shook his head. "You need to let go of you prejudice. I have talked with Severus a few times and when the subject of Harry comes around is face softens, and you can see the love he has for the child written all over him."

"I'm his godfather and he belongs with _me_!"

With a pleading look at Albus, Remus set to explain yet again that Harry belonged with Severus and nothing he could do would change that.

"I don't bloody care if he is Harry's adoptive father! He shouldn't have been allowed to adopt him in the first place. What sort of shotty social worker approved this? I want to file a complaint!"

Albus stood up and walked over to Sirius to aid Remus. "Sirius, you will do no such thing. Those two belong together and until you see that you will not be allowed near Harry."

"Why? Because I have his best interest at heart? You call yourself a headmaster! How could you put a child in harm?"

That blow hurt more than anyone in the room could know, but Albus kept a straight face. "Sirius, he is in no harm. In fact, he is probably in the safest place he can be."

Albus then had a brain storm. He knew that arguing with the man was not going to get them anywhere as past conversations had shown, but maybe if he showed him just how close the two had become.

"Sirius, what if I showed you Harry? Would that calm your fears?"

Sirius nodded his head. "Yes, please let me see him!"

Albus nodded and walked over back behind his desk. Carefully he pulled forward the pensive and set it to where all three of them could stand around it. He then held his wand to his head and extracted the latest memory he had of Harry and Severus interacting. Putting into the pensive Albus beckoned both men forward.

Before, he let them jump in and look though he made sure that both men understood that Harry had terrible night terrors and even when his mind was cleared sometimes memories still got through the shields. Nothing was completely full proof after all.

_Albus and Severus were sitting downstairs enjoying some evening tea discussing class plans when they both heard a scream come from upstairs._

_Both men knew that it was Harry, and they both knew that it was a nightmare. It was one of those things that you don't wish to become accustomed to, but you do._

_Placing down his cup hastily Severus ran up the stairs and went to comfort his boy. It was obvious by the way he was moving that he didn't care if anyone was watching or following for that matter as Albus was. _

_He couldn't help it. Even though Albus knew Severus had everything under control he had to see for himself that they were both alright. _

_When Severus burst into the room though Albus stayed at the door frame content at just watching the two to make sure they were ok. He didn't want to interfere with what he knew was going to be a loving father comforting his son. _

_Almost as if on cue, Severus rushed forward and scooped his child into his arms, covers and all. He then very gently woke the boy with gentle fingers running through his hair and soft words. _

_When the boy woke, he took one look at Severus and then buried his head in his robes and started to soak them through. Veery gently Severus hiked the boy up on his lap and held him tight to his chest while rubbing his back soothingly. _

_Satisfied that they were both alright Albus gave a nod to the man holding the boy and started to head downstairs to wait for Severus. He knew that in an hour or so Harry would be back under the warm covers and Severus would need someone to talk with. These nightmares didn't just take a tool on Harry._

As the memory ended all three pulled their heads from the spinning liquid. Stunned by the care that Severus showed James's son Sirius stumbled backwards to find the chair that Albus had conveniently placed behind him.

Sitting down Sirius placed his head in his hands and took a deep heaving breath. With a sad smile Remus came over and placed a gentle hand on his back.

"See Sirius, they love each other. It would do much more harm to Harry to separate them then to leave them be."

"I...I...I am such an ass. Harry...he looks so small. Is he alright?"

Sirius looked up to find Albus's eyes dull and free of the sparkle that was usually there. "There is a reason he was taken from the Dusley's and I will leave it at that. Severus has taken care of all his needs though, and is almost back to perfect health.

Sirius looked down and nodded. "I...I need to go home."

Remus wrapped an arm around Sirius and helped him up. He was used to these mood swings by now and had expected something to this extent when they had entered the memory.

The poor man's emotions were on edge and were at the extremes. Before Azkaban, his emotions were hectic, but now they were almost unbearable. Especially for the man experiencing them, it was like a consent roller coster he couldn't get off.

"Come on Sirius when we get home I'll fix you up some tea, and then we'll talk some more."

Sirius nodded and let his friend lead him to the floo.

When the flames turned back to orange Albus took the papers he was working on before their surprise visit back out of his desk and looked at them with a heavy sigh.

These were the papers that went along with his horcrux hunting. Admittedly, he had actually done well on this front this last month. So far they had the diary, the ring, and the locket. Three out of six were gone.

But, the was not to say that they were easy to acquire and kill. Not by a long shot. Albus had almost met his end several times already. One reason he had refused to let anyone help him.

The gaunt ring had been the only one that had been fairly easy to find. He had found it in the Gaunt shack and had tried many different ways to destroy it. Finally he destroyed it with the sword of Gryffindor. He was so thankful that had worked, otherwise he didn't know what else he would have done. The pull to put it on was so strong it was almost unbearable and he feared if it had been in his possession any longer he would have.

As for the locket. It had been pure luck finding that wretched thing. Apparently, the black family house elf had been tasked with destroying the locket by his late master, but had been unsuccessful all these years. Just by chance Albus had heard the creature conversing with himself about it. With much convincing the wizard had managed to talk the elf into handing the awful thing over to him so that he could destroy it. When he did receive it he immediately destroyed it in one swift blow of the sword.

With those items in his thoughts, Albus picked his quill back up and started to write where he thought the next one might be. Helga Hufflepuff's Cup.


	29. Ghosts

**Hey everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and my lovely beta Lady DestinyHope for putting up with my long chapter! **

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get up here. Real life got in the way, but here it is! I hope you guys enjoy! :)**

**Nightshade's sydneylover150 - I think they just might be able to break through Sirius's thick skull…or at least I hope so! ;)**

**Slytherin Snake - I'm really not sure. I kinda have future chapters planned, but nothing is really set in stone so I don't really give you misinformation. :)**

* * *

><p>As they finished their lunch in the park, Severus started to pack away the rest of it in the basket Maya had given them. When it was all packed away Severus quickly looked around, making sure no Muggles were near, and then banished it back to the house so that they wouldn't have to carry it around anymore.<p>

Getting off the ground, Severus then helped the boy up to his feet. "Are you ready to go?"

The boy gave a small nod. "We were going to get some flowers first, right?"

Smiling Severus nodded. "Thank you for reminding me. I think the flower shop is right down the street. Would you like to pick something out special?"

"Can I?"

Severus held out his hand for Harry to hold and nodded. "Of course child."

Accepting the offered hand Harry leaned into Severus's side as they headed down the street to the flower shop.

When they reached the flower shop they walked in and were immediately greeted by a kind, elderly woman who Severus supposed was the shop owner. Maybe he should take more trips into town.

"Hello, what can I do for you two today?"

Severus smiled, but pulled the boy a little closer to his side. He could feel him start to shake with nerves. They were really going to have to work with him with this new stranger thing. Or else how was he going to be able to get back to school? He couldn't flinch every time someone new entered a room.

"Can we have a bouquet of while lilies and chrysanthemums."

The woman nodded and went in the back room to get what was asked for. While she was gone Severus looked down at the shy boy and smiled. "What would you like to get?"

Harry looked around and shyly pointed at a bunch of red roses.

"Are those the ones that you would like to get?"

Harry lowered his arm and nodded. So slowly, with Harry by his side, Severus walked forward and took a bunch of the roses, wrapping them in the paper that was next to them as he did.

When he was finished, he walked up to the cash register with the flowers in hand and then set them down.

While he was waiting for the woman to come back with the arrangement, he looked back down at Harry concerned.

"Are you alright there Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod, but leaned into his side even more. It was nice to have a kind shoulder to lean on.

Knowing that he wouldn't get any further with the boy at the moment Severus just nodded and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulder.

Just then the woman came back with the bouquet in a vase. "Is that all?"

"Yes, and these roses."

Smiling the woman nodded and started to ring everything up on the register. "I hate to be nosey, but may I ask who the lucky lady is getting all these flowers?"

Severus looked down at Harry for a moment and then answered her question slowly. "We are going to visit Harry's mother's grave today."

Pausing for a moment the woman's smile faltered a bit. She had not expected an answer like that. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

Severus just nodded and handed her the money that was owed. When she took the money Severus grabbed the flowers and handed the bouquet of roses to Harry.

"Come on Harry. Let's go before it gets dark. I believe they trick or treat around here and try to play pranks."

Harry nodded and dutifully followed behind Severus. For a while, they walked down the sidewalk until they reached front gates of the graveyard.

Taking a deep breath Severus looked down at his child. "Ready?"

Harry nodded hugging the bouquet of roses close to his chest. He didn't really know why, but he was really nervous about seeing his parent's graves. It didn't help that as soon as they reached the gate Arwen had disappeared behind a bush.

Severus had tried to explain to the boy that cats and Kneazle didn't like being near graveyards because of their heightened senses. And while Harry had nodded understanding, he still seemed a little distressed that he had lost his friend for a little while, but Severus reassured him that she would meet them back at the gate when they were ready to leave.

Finally, after a bit more reassuring, Harry let Severus place an arm around his shoulders and open the gate with a quick wave of his wand.

Gently Severus guided the boy inside the graveyard and over to where he knew Lily and James Potter were buried. He had been here often enough to know just where they were.

At one point Albus had even planted a tree and placed a bench beneath it so that he could watch him and make sure he was ok. It had hit him hard when Lily died and for some reason he had felt a little better being here. Like he had been a little closer to Lily.

Passing the stone bench Albus had made and little trinkets that people had left behind, the two slowly made it over to the graves they wished to visit. When they reached the double grave, with tears in his eyes Harry knelt down before the gravestone setting down the roses in front of him.

Very gently with a finger Harry traced the words written above his parent's names. "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

Closing his eyes Harry dropped his hand to rest in his lap and his head to his chest. "Hi Mum, hi Dad. I miss you."

Severus came forward and placed a gentle hand on the boy's back. He then reached in his pocket and took out the stuffed deer and returned it to its normal size.

Kneeling down next to Harry the man kept one hand firmly on Harry's back while he set down both the vase of flowers and the stuffed deer.

Then, he took the locket he had been carrying around all day out of his pocket and set it down gently on the boy's lap. The boy looked up at him confused, but Severus just motioned for him to open it. He knew that when the boy opened it he would more than likely understand.

With a few stray tears Harry reached down and opened the beautiful golden locket. Much to the boy's surprise it seemed to be a magical locket and it didn't just hold one picture; it held many.

"This was your mother's, Harry. She didn't believe in scrap books so she kept all your baby pictures in here and wore it around her neck every day."

The boy just nodded and continued to flip through the pictures. The first one was of his mother and James hugging each other and looking down at her belly, her smile was so wide that Harry let a small smile slip. Then there was one of his father trying to feed him some sort of soft food, but when it went in his mouth he spit it back out in the poor man's face while Lily stood by laughing. The one after that, was the same one he had seen in their living room, of him learning how to walk. Then there was one that Harry would treasure forever. It was probably the last photograph taken of all three of them. He was sitting on James's lap, and he kept grabbing at his glasses while his mother just looked on fondly at the interaction.

While Harry was deep in thought he didn't notice the pale, ghostly figures that appeared next to him and Severus. Severus did though, and he looked longingly up at his love and the man he had once hated.

Gently he patted Harry's back to gain his attention. "Harry, we have guests."

Harry looked up and spotted the two smiling ghosts. He was more than a little startled by their appearance. "Mum? Dad?"

Lily came forward and placed a gentle, but cold hand on Harry's cheek making him shiver slightly. "Hi my love."

Harry looked shyly down at his lap. "I miss you."

"We miss you too Harry and we will always love you."

Harry looked up with such hope in his eyes that it broke Severus's heart and it would have broken both Lily and James's if they still had one. "Really?"

"Yes child. Why don't we go and sit down somewhere where it is more comfortable for your daddy. It's not good for him to kneel on the ground for long."

Severus looked a little miffed, but secretly he was a little grateful. His knees didn't really like kneeling like this, but still he had to keep some on his dignity. "Lily, I'm not that old."

Knowingly Lily rose an eyebrow, but said nothing. James just leaned back on his heels and hid a laugh behind his hand.

Sighing Severus stood up stiffly and held out a hand to help Harry up. "Maybe your mother is right. Let's go sit down on the bench."

James smiled and rolled his eyes. "Lily is always right. I thought you knew that Severus?"

Lily smacked the back of her husband's head. "Be a good example James and stop teasing Severus."

"Yes ma'am." James looked down and pretended to look ashamed, but you could clearly still see the amusement in his eyes.

Harry just looked on astonished at his parents. He didn't know whether to be amused by their antics or feel sorry for his father for getting smacked. Strangely though the interaction somewhat calmed his nerves and set him more at ease. It also kind of reminded him of someone…but he couldn't quite put a finger on just whom…

A sudden image of Hermione hitting Ron on the back of the head, but he shrugged off that thought for later and followed his Daddy to the bench and sat down next to him, close to his side. Lily and James came over as well, and Lily sat next to Severus while James took a seat near Harry.

James leaned over so that he could see Harry's face. "So Harry, how are you doing?"

"I'm ok….Why are you here?"

James gave a sad smile and looked at his boy. "We wanted to tell you goodbye for the last time Harry. We can't come back again after this."

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes, and he leaned into Severus. From the time he was little he knew that he would probably never see his parents again, but now that they were there he had hoped that they could stay. "You...you can't stay?"

"No Harry, we can't stay. Severus here is going to fill in for us."

James felt awful and all while Lily and himself had been pulling strings to make this visit happen he had wondered if this was the right thing to do. Would it would really help Harry like Lily had said it would or it would hurt him more. Lily had eventually convinced him that this one last visit would help Harry move on, not forget, but move on with his life.

Harry looked up at his ghostly father. "You're...you're not mad?"

The man smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. There is no reason for us to be angry. We know you are not replacing us in your heart with Severus; you just made a little more room for him to fit."

Harry looked down to his lap and nodded, clearly he was not completely convinced that the ghost in front of him was not angry.

Lily got up from her seat and kneeled down in front of her son. "Look at me love."

Harry looked up with a few stray tears in his eyes. "What your father says is true sweetheart. You have a big heart Harry and have plenty of room in there for all of us."

Seeing that Harry was still not fully believing what she was saying Lily tried a different tactic. "You love Ron and Hermione; right?"

Harry nodded. "They're my best friends."

Lily smiled. "It's like that. When you met them, you made room in your heart for them; you didn't replace anyone."

Harry shook his head. "That was different. I didn't have any friends before them."

Lily sighed and looked to Severus for help. After all, she had only a year of parenting experience under her belt and that was a long time ago. Severus had been raising Harry for a few months now and she had to admit that he knew her son better than she did. It was a lot different watching from afar than helping them grow into adults.

Severus reached around and did what Harry's parents could not, he put an arm around Harry's shoulders and drew him into his lap. Gently he wrapped his arms around the boy and hugged him tightly to his chest.

"Listen to your mother Harry. All three of us are telling you it is alright to feel as if you do. It is alright to open your heart."

Harry leaned his head into his Daddy's chest and nodded. Apparently, hearing it from Severus was just what Harry needed to hear. Over the last few months, Harry's trust had grown in Severus and that was a truly miraculous feat after everything that had been done to him.

Lily reached forward and tried to put her hand on Harry's cheek again. When she couldn't feel her little boy beneath her touch, she gave the boy a sad smile and removed her hand.

James got up from his seat and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We should be going now. Our time here is limited."

Lily nodded and stood up. "James is right. Remember Harry, we love you and always will."

Harry nodded, but then before he could stop himself a question burst forth from his mouth. "You don't blame me, do you?"

James smiled while he kept a hand on his wife's shoulder. "No child. Nothing was your fault. We made our choice to protect you and neither of us regret that and would do it all over again in a heartbeat."

Lily nodded. "We are also very glad that Severus found you and took you in. We want you to be happy Harry."

Harry snuggled into Severus a bit more feeling lighter than when he had woken up this morning and a whole lot better. "I still miss you."

Smiling at her son Lily placed a hand over James's that was still on her shoulder. "And we miss you too sweet, but we know you are in good hands. Remember, although you won't be able to see us, we will always be on the sidelines to cheer you on. We are so very proud of you."

The ghostly man looked at Severus with a small smile. "And thank you Severus for putting everything aside to take care of my son. I don't know whether I could have been that good of a man. I sorely misjudged you and I regret that immensely."

Severus just gave a small nod at the man he had once hated. "You have a remarkable son. It's hard not to love him."

As Harry blushed and buried his head deeper into Severus's robes the three looked at him fondly.

Finally, Lily saved her son of death by embarrassment and stepped forward to say her final goodbyes. Gently she placed a cold, ghostly kiss on Severus's forehead and then on Harry's.

"Goodbye my loves. Live long and happy lives."

As Lily stood back up James smiled and bent over to give Harry's forehead a kiss and pretended as if he was going to do the same to Severus. With a quick snarl and scowl he retreated with a smile and a hearty chuckle.

"Good**-**bye Harry and take care of your Daddy. He needs you just as much as you need him."

With that, the two ghostly figures slowly faded away leaving father and son sitting on a stone bench in the middle of a graveyard.

When the last of the ghosts disappeared Harry turned his head and buried his face into Severus's robes.

"Was that real?"

Severus wrapped his arms firmly around the boy and held him close. "I believe so Harry; I believe so."

The two sat there for a while until Severus realized that it was getting dark. Pulling Harry back a bit he looked him in the eyes.

"We should start heading home Harry. Would you like to arrange the flowers and things before we go though?"

Harry gave a small nod and with a little help got off Severus's lap and started to head over to his parent's grave. Very carefully he arranged all the flowers and the stuffed animal so that the joint grave looked the best it had in many years.

When Harry was finished and he was just kneeling before the grave Severus came up behind him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It's beautiful Harry."

Harry turned his head and smiled at Severus. He then stood up and launched himself into the warm arms that were waiting for him.

"Come on child, let's go home. "

Harry nodded into Severus's robes as he began to gently guide him out of the graveyard and back home. When they reached the gate, a small kitten came running out of the bushes and jumped onto Harry's shoulder.

Surprised Harry looked at the small fuzz ball and rose an eyebrow. "Decide to join us now?"

Slightly miffed the kitten batted his nose with her paw. "I don't like ghosts. They creep me out."

"You could have said something before you left you know."

"What would be the fun in that?"

Harry shook his head in amusement and adverted his gaze to look over at Severus who looked as if he were laughing at them.

"What?"

Severus rose both eyebrows. "You two look like an old married couple arguing like that."

"Dad!"

Severus just let out a laugh and drew the boy into a hug. "I'm just kidding with you, child. Now hold on tight, I'm going to Apparate us home.

"Harry did as he was told and held on tight to Severus. A few moments later and a nauseous stomach Harry found himself back home in his living room, but on his knees trying not to lose his lunch.

Gently Severus rubbed his back and pulled a vial out of his back pocket. "Drink this Harry. It will make you feel better."

Harry gratefully took the potion and gulped down in one swallow. Handing the vial back to Severus Harry grimaced at the taste and noticed that by his knees there was a purring kitten.

Taking a few deep breaths Harry felt a wave of relief as his stomach calmed. He then looked up at his Daddy and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome Harry. I believe Don and Albus were going to come join us for dinner, would you like to do anything before they come?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know. Can I go lay down for a bit, I'm kinda tired."

"Of course, you can Harry. Do you want me to come tuck you in?"

Harry nodded and blushed a bit. He knew he was too old for such a thing, but it was nice to have such care.

Severus gave a small smile and helped the boy up to his feet. The two then walked up the stairs with a kitten following close behind them.

When they got up to Harry's room Severus went over to the dresser and took out a set of Harry's pajamas. Carefully he laid them on the bed and then looked over at the boy who was pulling out his beloved story book.

Severus smiled and patted Harry on the shoulder. "Why don't you get changed, I'll be right back."

Harry nodded and watched as Severus shut the door behind him. Quickly he got into his night clothes and hopped into bed. As soon as he was under the covers he took the locket off his neck and opened it, looking at the pictures of his past.

A few minutes later Severus knocked softly on the door and entered. Seeing the boy on the bed looking through the locket he smiled and came over to sit in the chair.

"How are you feeling Harry?"

He was slightly concerned for the child. A lot had happened today, and he really had no idea how he was feeling. He knew his own mind was awash with feelings he was having trouble comprehending, and if he was feeling that way then how was Harry?

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I'm tired."

Severus reached over and placed a gentle hand on Harry's to gain his full attention. The boy sure was good at averting his attention these days and avoiding questions. Maybe he should just wait for Don to come and talk with him. Harry seemed more comfortable telling his feelings to him lately.

"Are you sure you're alright Harry?"

Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I...I don't know. I don't really want to talk right now."

"Alright, child. I am here for you when you need to talk, and Don will be by later. Do you want me to read some?"

Harry put the locket on the bedside table and nodded. So Severus picked up the book and started to read where he left off.

* * *

><p>A few hours later found Severus, Don and Albus sitting in the living room while Harry was still upstairs sleeping. They didn't want to disturb Harry when it was obvious that he needed some rest. It was unlike Harry to voluntary take a nap without a little help these days unless he was really tired.<p>

Albus held his cup of tea in his hands and looked at Severus intently. "So Severus, you're saying that Lily and James visited you in the graveyard?"

The man nodded and then explained everything that had happened during their visit. When he was finished, Albus leaned back on the couch and sighed. He knew it took a lot for a soul to come back to the living world once on the other side. Often times, those souls had to agree to donate their time to help guide lost souls to rest in peace. A job that was not something one looked forward to.

Concerned Don placed a hand on Albus's shoulder. "Albus?"

Straightening up Albus gave the worried man a gentle smile. "I'm alright Don; I was just thinking."

Don still looked at him with a calculating gaze, but when Albus gave him a reassuring smile he nodded deciding to pry later.

"Severus how are you feeling?"

The man sighed, but looked at the Healer knowing that he was going to pry every feeling out of him anyway. "Sad, angry with myself, and a bit confused."

Don got out off the couch and sat of the edge of Severus's chair placing a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "Why are you sad Severus?"

Again Severus sighed, "How could I not be sad after today? Lily and even James didn't get to see their son grow up. You should have seen Lily, at one point she didn't know what to say so she looked at me for help!"

Sadly Don smiled. "That's because, you are such a wonderful father and know practically everything about Harry."

"It shouldn't be that way though! Harry should have grown up with both his parents and lived a happy life with them! I should still be in the shadows watching; I should never have had to take Harry under my wing. It shouldn't have been necessary."

"But it has Severus, and we can't change the past. You know that."

Severus leaned forward and placed his face into his hands. "I know, but I still can't help thinking of the what if's. What if I had come sooner? What if I had saved Lily?"

Don started to gently rub Severus's back. "Severus, we have been over this many times. Don't go down this path again. Remember what happened last time?"

The man closed his eyes and nodded. He remembered very well what had happened, and Don was right he didn't want to go down that path again. It had been a long road to recovery, and he couldn't do that to Harry. He couldn't be hospitalized and leave his child alone.

"Good, I am glad you remember, because you know I will not hesitate to lock you up in the hospital until I know you are well."

Don knew he was being harsh to the poor man, but he also knew this was the only thing that would get through his thick head of his.

Gently Don started to send Severus some calming magic. He had a feeling Harry might come down in a little while, and he didn't want him to see Severus all worked up. Harry didn't need anything more to worry about, they had just gotten him to a comfortable spot.

"Ok Severus, that explains why you are feeling a little sad and angry at yourself, but what are you confused about?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders as he unconsciously lent into Don's touch. "I don't know...I mean why did they choose now to come and visit? He was having a bad day already, and...I...I don't know whether their visit helped...or hurt..."

Continuing to rub Severus's back Don let out a small sigh. "I don't know why they chose today, but I am sure that they had a reason. Harry will be fine, if you are concerned I'll go talk with him, but I am sure he is alright. Don't worry so much Severus, as you have seen children bounce back rather quickly and I believe that seeing his parents might have healed a big hole in his heart. As you said they reassured him that they don't blame him and that they know he is not replacing them. Those were a few of his biggest fears these last few months."

Severus nodded and sat back up. So Don removed his hand and smiled at the man when he turned to face him. The worry was still etched in his features, but it was softer than before, and you could tell that he was feeling at least a little better.

Smiling at Severus Don patted his back once more. "Alright now?"

Severus nodded and looked over at Albus. "How has the hunt been going?"

With a glint in his eye Albus gave a soft nod. "Quick to change the subject, eh?"

The man just rolled his eyes and looked intently at his mentor while Albus let out a small laugh. He loved teasing Severus, especially when it lightened the man's mood.

"Very well, my dear boy. I have located it in the Lestrange's family vault and have begun to negotiate with the Goblins. It looks as if I might need Sirius's help though since Bellatrix is a part of the Black family."

Severus nodded. "Do you think they will hand it over to you?"

"I have no idea my boy, but remember I still have many tricks up my sleeve. I will get it one way or another."

"That only leaves one more besides the one in Harry's scar, correct?"

Albus nodded. "That is right my dear boy."

The elder wizard then turned to Don. "Have you found a way to extract the dark magic?"

Don nodded, but seemed to contemplate his words before he spoke. "I might have found something, but it is not painless. There is a spell that has not been used in a long time and can be dangerous, but it might work. It was used back in the days of Merlin to purify a wizard of evil by first draining all his magic and only putting back the light magic. As you can guess there is a danger that Harry would lose all his magic, but if it is performed by a powerful wizard there is little chance of that happening."

As much as this option didn't sound appealing to Severus he grudgingly knew that if Don was only suggesting this one option that it was the only way to remove the dark magic from his boy. So looking at Albus Severus sighed. "Will you help Harry?"

Albus gave a small nod. "I would do anything to help Harry."

Don rested a gentle hand on Severus's back. "Let me look a little more into this and see whether I can find anything else before we jump into action. I want to ask a few more people what they think."

Both of the other men nodded, but Albus spoke. "We will wait until we find and destroy the last Horcrux then."

Severus took a deep breath. "What then? Do we go after Voldemort and kill him?"

Sadly Albus looked at his boy. He knew this was going to come up sooner or later, but he had wished for the latter for he knew he would likely not come out of this alive. "I will go after him alone."

Sensing what Albus was planning Severus stood up more out of worry than anything else. "At least have me come along! You can't go by yourself! That's...that's suicide!"

In a low voice Albus set to explain himself and try to calm the man before him. "Severus, I am old and it is almost my time; I can feel it in my bones. I would much rather it be me than you leaving Harry all alone again. Besides, as I said before I still have some tricks up my sleeve."

Severus collapsed down into his chair with a _thunk_. "Can someone else help you? Moody? Minerva? I'm not ready..."

The older man gave Severus a sad smile. "We are never truly ready my boy, but I will never really be gone, for a part of me will always live inside your heart."

Severus closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands again, this time his shoulders gave a slight heave.

Don and Albus shared a silent look, and Don moved while the older man came over and rested both hands on Severus's shoulders and then with great ease drew him up to his feet pulling him into a hug. "It will be alright my boy. Let's not think of this for now. I didn't mean to scare you. I will never leave you on purpose, but if I do go I want you to know that you will still have a home here. I have already set up my will so that you will inherit everything, you are my sole heir."

Severus shook his head against Albus's chest. "I don't deserve any of it. I don't want it if you're gone."

Gently Albus rubbed his back soothingly. "My boy, I don't care if you feel as if you deserve any of it or not. You do, but that is not the point. I will always make sure you are taken care of, and this is my way of ensuring you are."

Accepting defeat Severus just nodded and fell into the warmth of his mentor. He knew that the man would not go down without a fight, but still it was distressing to even think about him putting his life on the line.

Albus gave Severus one last hug and then pulled him away from his chest. "Now Severus, why don't you and I go help Maya with dinner while Don goes upstairs to wake Harry?"

The Healer and Albus shared another look and Severus seemingly oblivious nodded. "Alright."

Don smiled and walked over to Severus, before he started to head upstairs. Gently he rested a hand on Severus's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Let me worry about this old man Severus, I'll knock some sense into his head."

The man smiled at the Healer while Albus just pretended not to notice what they were talking about. He knew Don was going to scold him later for not wanting to take every precaution, but he felt as though he was old, and he didn't want anyone else to get hurt in this war. It was bad enough that both his boy's were tangled up in all this mess.

With one last look at Albus and Severus, Don started to head upstairs to see Harry. He had a feeling and apparently so did Albus that there was more going on in Harry's head than Severus thought. Well, Severus had a feeling there was more that Harry was not telling him, but wasn't really vocalizing his worry.

Putting those thoughts away for later Don gently knocked on Harry's door just in case he was awake and then entered.

As he opened the door, the Healer smiled at the boy who was still sleeping on the bed. He was curled on his side under the covers with his kitten laying right on top of his head.

Coming in the room a little more, Don softly sat on the edge of the bed. The movement might not have been enough to wake Harry, but it was for the kitten. Opening her eyes the kitten saw it was Don she gave him a slight glare and then got up with a stretch. She knew he was here to wake her human up, but that didn't mean he had to wake her up as well.

Slightly miffed she walked to the edge of the bed and plopped herself down closing her eyes to try to get a bit more rest.

Smiling Don shook his head in amusement, but then looked at Harry and set to his task of waking the boy. Gently he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave it a gentle rub. A moment later sleepy eyes met his, and he smiled.

"Hi Harry."

Closing his eyes again Harry nodded and yawned. When the jaw breaking yawn was over Harry opened his eyes again and gave a small smile. "Hi."

"Ready for some food?"

The boy gave a small nod, but then let out another wide yawn.

Smiling Don patted Harry's shoulder. "Still tired?"

Nodding again Harry started to try to sit up. "A little. How long have I been asleep?"

"Just a few hours. You can go to bed early tonight though if you're still tired."

Sitting up all the way Harry gave a small nod and stretched his arms above his head. "Why am I so tired? I've never felt like this before."

Slightly frowning Don reached over and placed a tender hand on the boy's forehead. After a few seconds, he removed it and smiled at the boy. "Well, you don't feel warm. I bet you are just tired from the busy day you've had."

The Healer didn't mention that he was silently casting a diagnostic charm on the by to make sure that he was correct. He didn't want to miss something. When the spell came back saying that everything was a-ok Don smiled again.

"Do you want to tell me about today?"

Obviously, the boy was feeling better than before he had fallen asleep because he nodded and began to tell the Healer everything that had happened that day not leaving a part out. When he reached the part about his parents though, he seemed a bit distant...and a bit off.

To comfort him Don just placed a gentle hand on the boy's to let him know that he was still there. When Harry was finished speaking Don gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Are you ok there Harry?"

Blinking a bit Harry gave a small nod, but looked down at his quilt.

Don noticed right away the reluctance Harry was having, but knew that the boy would have to speak about what was bothering him or else he would burst.

"What is it Harry? Was it something they said?"

Harry shook his head. "No...it's just I'll never see them again...I mean I never thought I would be able to see them this time...it's just..."

Don nodded. He understood where the boy was coming from. It was almost like a tease of what could be with them coming to say their goodbyes. "You wish they could stay."

Harry nodded. "Yeah...I mean I love my daddy...but what if?"

Don gave the boy a gentle smile. "I know Harry. What if they were still here. It's perfectly ok to wonder, but just remember that you can't, as much as we all want to, change the past. Things happen for one reason or another, and as much as we don't want to, we have to live with it."

Harry let out a small breath and nodded and then looked up at Don. "Why couldn't they stay though?"

Sadly Don patted Harry's hand. "Spirits who have already crossed over only can come back for short amounts of time if at all. I am sure if they could have stayed they would have."

Heaving another breath Harry nodded. Strangely, he was feeling alright. Not the best, but considering everything that had happened that day, he was alright. He wished with every bone in his body that his parents were still alive, but that conversation earlier with them had cleared up more than a few of his fears, and he felt...almost content.

Looking Harry up and down to try to gage how the boy was feeling Don gave him a small smile. "Do you want to go down and eat with us?"

Harry gave a soft nod and started to swing his legs off the other side of the bed. When he stood he took a deep breath and then started to walk to his dresser draws. Before he could grab a shirt though, Don placed a gentle hand on his shoulder making him turn.

"Harry. Are you really feeling alright? A lot happened today, and your daddy thought there might be something up."

Harry sighed and looked down. "Before I feel asleep, I had a lot of questions...but I thought a lot about what happened...and...and I understand. They don't want me to be sad for them for the rest of my life; they want me to live my life. Not forget them, but move on...and I think I can do that. It's not going to be easy...but I have to enjoy my life with you...daddy...the Headmaster...and my friends."

Don smiled and brought the boy into a hug. "You truly are a remarkable young man, you know that?"

Harry pulled back a bit and looked confused. "Why?"

"Because you are Harry. Now. Why don't you get yourself dressed and I'll meet you downstairs, alright?"

Harry gave a small nod. Adults could be so weird sometimes.

Before Don left he turned, and looked at the bed and then at Harry. "Oh, and you might want to tell Arwen that Albus has a special treat for her if she comes downstairs."

The cat stood up and rushed out the door as soon as she heard the mention of a treat making both Don and Harry laugh. When they both calmed down Don shot a wink at Harry and closed the door behind him.

Quickly Harry got dressed and pulled then pulled a jumper over his head. He could quite clearly remember his Daddy giving him a scolding look and sending him right back upstairs the other night when he didn't have one on, and he had to admit he was a lot happier for it. It was getting quite cold in the evenings now. Pretty soon they were going to have snow.

When he knew he had everything on, Harry opened his door and practically flew down the stairs. At the last minute, he again remembered his Daddy telling him not to run in the house and slowed down It was funny how his conscious was sounding more and more like his Daddy every day. It was kind of scary.

Walking down the rest of the stairs he spotted Albus waiting at the bottom. Shyly he waved as he stopped on the last step.

Albus just gave him a large smile and offered his elbow. "May I escort you to a gift for your kitten?"

Harry smiled and took the man's offered elbow. "Is she already there?"

"Yes, but I believe she needs your help opening it."

Curiosity getting the better of his Harry followed the man over to the living room corner where there was a large box wrapped in paper and a bow. In front of the box, there was an inpatient looking cat who immediately snapped at him. "Took you long enough. Now open it! I smell catnip!"

Harry smiled at the kitten and shook his head. Then, he turned to look at Albus with an evil smile. "Maybe we should wait until after dinner."

Albus threw his head back and laughed. When he calmed down he looked at Harry with a wink. "I think that's a good idea."

The kitten walked up to the two and sat down revealing her claws. "Test me."

Just the kitten's action set Albus into giggles again, but Harry hearing what she said laughed outright. This was just what he needed after such a day, and he was so glad to have the fluff ball.

"Ok Arwen, you made your point. I'll open it for you."

The cat jumped up and went to sit before the great purple and orange present, but then turned to look back at Harry. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"

Harry smiled and rose an eyebrow at the kitten. He hadn't realized just how inpatient she could be before now. Shaking his head he went towards the package.

When he reached the present he untied the great red ribbon and watched as the cardboard fell to the sides revealing what was every cat's dream.

There stood an enormous cat tree. At least four stories tall and had many tunnels and platforms all cat nip infused. On all those shelves and tunnels were tons of toy mice and other furry creatures, and he supposed those had a ton of cat nip in them as well.

As he cat zipped to climb the enormous cat tree, Harry turned to look at a still laughing Albus.

"Do you want my cat to drive me crazy sir?"

Albus shook his head and with the sparkle present in his eye he gestured to the kitchen where Harry was sure his daddy was. "No, just your father."

Harry smiled and rolled his eyes. "Does he even know you set this up here?"

The man smiled mischievously. "I'm sure he noticed that it was here, but I never did tell him what was inside."

Harry just turned to look at his kitten who was going crazy with joy. So much cat nip had her senses overloaded, and she was jumping from here to there. Harry just shook his head with a smile. "At least I know you'll sleep well tonight."

Albus came up behind Harry and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come on Harry, let's go have some dinner and let her have some fun."

The boy nodded and let Albus lead him into the kitchen.

When they entered the kitchen, Harry saw both Don and Severus sitting at the table. Smiling Severus patted the seat beside him, and Harry accepted the offer. Albus sat down as well, and they all started in on their meal.

* * *

><p>Later that night as Harry lay in bed waiting for Severus to come in and tuck him in he started to think about his day again. He sighed and rolled over to his side catching sight of the locked that had belonged to his mother. Reaching over he picked it up and opened it.<p>

It still amazed him that a whole part of his life could be fit into something so small...but then the time he had had with them had been short. Sighing again, he turned to look at the picture of his throwing food at his father.

Gently he ran a finger over the memory fondly. He wished he could remember that first year with his parents. He was sure he was happy then. It wasn't that he was unhappy now, it was just….things could have been so much different.

Closing the locket Harry placed it back on the side table and rolled back over to stare at the ceiling. With his arm ran it across his eyes catching the few tears that had escaped. He then closed them completely and just lay there.

The next thing he knew he was being drawn into a warm lap and he opened his eyes to look at his Daddy giving him a sad smile. "Everything catching up to you?"

Harry gave a small nod and turned to accept the hug that was being offered. Severus wrapped strong arms around him and let the boy rest comfortably in the folds of his robes.

When some time had passed, Harry pulled back and again wiped his eyes. "Thank you...I needed that."

Severus just smiled and nodded. He then patted the bed and helped Harry get all situated again.

"Better?"

Harry nodded and looked down at the exhausted kitten on the end of the bed. She was gone to the world; she had just played too hard.

"Do you want me to read some more?"

Harry looked at Severus. "Can we read something else?"

The man nodded. "What do you want to hear Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment and then his face brightened up. "Can we read 'Life of Pi'?"

Severus nodded and wordlessly summoned up the requested book. He then opened it and began to read out of it.

An hour later Severus looked over the top of the book and saw a sleeping Harry. Smiling gently he dog-eared the page in the book and set it on the bedside table.

Gently he reached over and gently took the boy's glasses off and set them on top of the book. Then, he reached out again, and tenderly brushed back Harry hair from his forehead. Smiling he leaned over Harry and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Good night my love. Have wonderful dreams."

Silently he slipped inside Harry's mind made sure that the boy did indeed have pleasant dreams. The next moment he retreated and got up from his seat.

Walking to the door he Nox-ed the lights, but before he left he turned and looked at his boy once more. Sighing he whispered into the room. "No matter what Harry, I will always love you."

With that one last proclamation, Severus turned and quietly shut the door behind him.


	30. Snow

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait. A lot has been going on around here. Finished one class and now I'm on to the next, whoo! This is actually going to be a difficult month for me with school, so I'm sorry if I'm not updating as often as I have in the past! Good news, I graduate in four months!**

**While writing this chapter and the next though I have begun writing the prequel to this story with how Severus came to be under Albus's wing. It's turning out very well, but if you have any suggestions I would love to hear them! :)**

**Nightshade's sydneylover150 - Thank you! :) Brain decided to take a little nap there… haha**

**DesirePassion- Yeah ten points! :) I would have loved to see the looks you were getting! haha**

**GothGirl3030 - More Harry and Draco coming up soon I promise!**

**Veronica McC - It's kind of funny, when I was thinking up a good name Lord of the Rings was nowhere in my mind. It was more of a google search for good kitten names. haha But I do love the name and maybe it was my subconscious linking her to LOTR. haha :)**

**I actually have read them all! haha The dangers of having an iphone and riding the public bus, you tend to read ALOT! haha If you liked those check out Perception is Everything by Kendra James, actually anything by her is amazing!**

* * *

><p>The next few weeks passed rather quietly for Harry and Severus. After that day in the graveyard, they had both settled back down into their normal routine, but much to Severus's delight Harry's bad days were coming less often than before. Maybe, that Halloween night had helped Harry after all.<p>

He had been scared that even though Harry's parent's had good intentions that it would set Harry back in his progress since any little thing could throw him. Harry had seemed to gain a little confidence since that night though and had been talking more to both him and Don about his past. He really seemed to be on the fast track to healing.

Walking up the stairs from the basement Severus wiped the leftover potion gunk that was stuck to him robes. That was the one thing he really hated about brewing potions; everything stuck to him. The fumes, the ingredients, the smells, and just the random nasty junk that the potion produced. It just truly discussed him at times how the fumes and after mast from potions stuck to his very skin. People always wondered why his hair was constantly so greasy, but he had to ask, have they ever brewed a simple stomach drought? Simply, that would cause your hair to greece up and stick down to your head like a bad wig.

Shaking those thoughts from his head Severus wandered into the kitchen and sat down at the table grumbling at the incompetence of people. Almost immediately, Maya was before him with a glass of water and a smile. How he loved that elf, she always knew just what he needed even if he never voiced it.

"Have a drink Master Severus. Master Harry is still up in his room with the Healer. "

Severus nodded and accepted the glass from the elf. Then, the elf hopped up and down and snapped her fingers disappearing in a flash.

The man shook his head in amusement and took a deep sip of his water. He really did need to drink more; he was sure he was dehydrated from being cooped up in the basement all that time.

Sighing Severus drank down the rest of the glass and then stood up. Placing the glass in the sink he started to head upstairs to change his clothes and take a shower to get rid of the nasty grime that was stuck to his skin. That wolf truly did owe him for brewing that disgusting potion for him every month. Wolfsbane potion was really going to be the death of him. Everything about it just made him sick. Contrary to popular belief he was not fond of handling Mice Livers.

Shuddering at the thought of Mice Livers he started to head to his room, as he did he passed the open door of Harry's and smiled when he saw Harry sitting at the desk writing something with Pam standing behind him praising his work.

Harry's studies have drastically improved these past few months with Pam's private tutoring. His reading level had shot up to where it should be and even then some. Even his writing had improved to point where it was more legible then his own. Severus was very proud of his child, and he had to admit that Pam was doing a wonderful job. Mush better than he could ever have done.

With a smile still plastered on his face, Severus walked into the bathroom and took his shower and got dressed in clean clothes. When he was finished cleaning up, he walked back to Harry's bedroom and peaked in again.

The two were now sitting on the side of Harry's bed, and Pam looked as if she were teaching him a new spell. They had fallen into this routine soon after they had started their lessons. If Harry got all his work done for the day, as a reward she taught him a spell he most likely would have learned if he had been raised in magical home.

Harry's didn't know that though. He just thought he was learning something cool. Not that he was really catching up with his peers and they had no intention of telling him. He was already so self conscious of being so behind.

You see magical children are taught little spells from their parents from birth, but muggle raised children obviously don't receive this befit. These children are normally placed in a class in their first year where they learn those spells. It seemed though that Harry had been looked over because his parents were magical even though he was raised by muggles. Now, it was just another thing that Harry had to catch up with.

When Harry cast the cleaning charm on his shirt sleeve, Severus applauded the boy from the door frame. The boy just looked up at Severus and blushed clearly embarrassed he was being watched.

Still smiling Severus looked at Pam. " I thought we could take lunch in the park. Would you like to come with us? I am sure Harry would love the extra company, and Maya would love cooking for one more. "

Pam smiled and shook her head. " I wish I could, it sounds wonderful, but Don said that he had something planned for us."

Severus's smile grew a bit, and he winked. He could not pass by a chance to tease her. " Finally getting that dinner? "

Pam's eye's narrowed playfully at the man. She knew he was just teasing her, but she had to act the part for Harry's sake. She knew the boy enjoyed these little interactions, and if it brought a smile to his face she would play along. " None of your business mister!"

Severus just shook his head and laughed. Coming over he patted Harry on the head and ignored the witch who was now glaring at him with a small smile. She was never going to live down that frustrated rant and she knew it.

"Do you want to go to the park Harry? I heard that there is a play group meeting there this afternoon. The Duggen's should be there. "

For a few weeks now they had been going to the park and trying to get Harry to engage more with other people in hopes that they could get him more comfortable around other people. Fortunately, these play groups were the perfect solution.

He knew they were originally meant for home-schooled children, but Harry was technically being home schooled at the moment, and it was so good for him to intermingle with others. It was also an opportunity for Severus to get to know some of the local parents.

As much as Severus loved Albus and Don's parenting advice, it was nice to get other's opinions. Especially those who had first-hand experience raising their own children.

Harry gave a small nod and then got up from his bed. Going over to his dresser, he went to go pull on a jumper. Pam and Severus just watched, but then Severus gained Pam's attention, and they shared a look communicating silently.

"Harry? We'll meet you downstairs, alright?"

Harry turned and looked at Pam and nodded.

With that small nod, the two walked out of the room and Severus closed the door behind him. Going downstairs Severus gestured Pam to sit down on the couch. Sitting in the chair next to Pam he smiled over at her. He really just wanted a small progress to update on how Harry was doing and didn't want to talk about Harry in front of him. He knew how annoying that could be. Albus did it enough to him.

"How is Harry doing in his studies?"

The woman nodded. " Very well. As you saw we finished all his schoolwork that was due today. He also wrote letters to all his friends telling them what he has been up to. I hope you don't mind that we asked for them to send Headwig. I know you both thought she would be happier with the other owls in the owlry, but Harry misses her. "

The man nodded. "I was actually going to ask Albus to send her over tonight. So thank you. While we were so focused on Harry healing we just didn't want her to be ignored or for her to fall into a depression if Harry didn't have enough time to spend with her."

"I know Severus; you don't have to explain your reasons to me. I was just letting you know that Headwig is coming tomorrow."

Severus blushed and nodded. He was just so use to having to explain himself to Don, that he just did it naturally. "Sorry, habit."

Smiling Pam just nodded. "It's alright Severus; I understand. Don has you well trained."

Just then, before Severus could reply Harry came in the room with a scarf, gloves and his boots in hand. He had them warming upstairs in his room instead of leaving them by the drafty door.

Smiling Severus looked up at the boy and patted the seat next to Pam on the couch. Harry came over and sat down, but looked at the two a little worried.

"Is there something wrong?"

Pam patted the boy on the shoulder and shook her head. "Not at all Harry. Why do you ask?"

"You're both acting strange."

Raising an eyebrow, Severus looked at the boy. "Any stranger than normal? We are quite weird normally."

Trying to hold back a giggle Harry nodded. "I guess you're right. If you two were any stranger, you would be locked away in the looney bin!"

Pam reached over and started to tickle the little brat. "That's right you little scoundrel! Now, I must be off. You two behave yourselves!"

The Healer's tickling stopped, but Harry's face was now flushed with laughter and joy. Smiling the boy nodded and got off the couch when the Healer did. Jumping forward he hugged the woman surprising her. Harry had his moments where he didn't mind being touched, but for him to openly invite a hug from anyone other than Severus was rare.

Overcoming her shock, she wrapped her arms around Harry returning the hug. "You're acting like I'm not coming back Harry. I will be here again tomorrow just like everyday."

Pulling back Harry nodded. " I'm sorry. "

Patting his shoulder Pam nodded. "It's alright Harry. I do enjoy being hugged from such a handsome young lad! Why don't you run along now though and get ready to go to the park? Remember to throw some snowballs at Severus for me."

The boy nodded smiling, and ran off to the front door to complete his outfit. Severus followed him with his eyes the whole way shaking his head in amusement. The poor child's moods still were fragile and unbalanced, but most times they could distract him with something else, as they had just done. Before all this time to heal in peace, after this interaction they had just had Harry surely would have broken down into sobs.

Severus turned to look at Pam. " Tomorrow then? "

The woman gave a soft nod and then disappeared through the floo.

With Pam gone, Severus walked into the kitchen and fetched the picnic basket Maya had made for them. He often wondered if she could read minds, because he had made no mention of making a venture to the park to her all day.

Shaking that thought from his head Severus set off to the living room with their lunch in hand. Entering the living room, he smiled when he saw Harry practically jumping at the front door from excitement dressed in all his winter clothes. The boy looked like a big purple puff ball standing there bouncing from foot to foot.

Raising an eyebrow, Severus looked down at the fuzz ball that was by Harry's feet. "Is Arwen coming out too? It's cold out there!"

Harry nodded. "She said that she would warn me if a snowball is coming and that her fur is think enough to keep her warm."

Severus nodded and pulled on his own coat and boots. When he was all bundled up a mischievous gleam entered his eyes. With the basket in one hand, he walked up beside Harry and then scooped up the purple puff ball so that he was caring him under his arm making Harry' giggle and squirm playfully.

"Hey!"

Severus just walked out the front door with his burden silently casting a weight altering spell. "Public beware I have a purple people eater!"

Harry's giggles became full laughs as Severus continued to carry him and chant about a one eyed, one horned, flying purple people eater. When they reached the front yard where there was a large snow bank Severus threw the boy so he landed smack dab into in the white fluffy snow.

Struggling to get up Harry looked up at Severus with that same mischievous glint in his eye. The next moment Severus found himself being pelted with badly formed snowballs, and he couldn't help but smile. Ducking Severus dropped the basket so it wouldn't get any snow in it and formed some snowballs of his own.

Throwing them at Harry soon they were both on the snow-covered ground laughing. Through his laughs, Severus shook his head lovingly. "Brat."

"Meany"

Turning Severus started ticking the boy and helped him to his feet. "You tell anyone at Hogwarts about this, and you'll be scrubbing cudrens until you have warts on your fingers!

Harry still smiling he shook his head and placed a hand over his heart. "Scouts honor!"

Severus rose an eyebrow and smiled amused. "To my knowledge, you were never a scout."

"Nope!"

Severus still smiling brought Harry into a hug. "You little scamp. Come on now let's head to the park."

Harry pulled back still smiling and grabbed the lunch basket from the ground. Hand and hand the two walked down the sidewalk throwing small smiles and jokes at each other.

* * *

><p>When they reached the park, they walked over to the bench they had occupied every time they had come here. It was near the playground so that when Harry was finished, he could go and play with the other kids. It also allowed Severus to keep a good eye on Harry no matter where he went in the park. He knew he was being paranoid, but he couldn't help it with Voldemort out there with his death eaters.<p>

Finishing with their lunch, Harry wandered off to where some of the kids were making snowmen while Severus watched glad that Harry was finally interacting with others. It had taken some time for Harry to get comfortable with strangers again, but finally, he was making progress on that front.

As he watched the children play in the snow, another parent he had spoken with before came over and sat next to him on the bench.

She was a very beautiful woman, with almost white-blond hair and a very kind smile. Two kids Harry was playing with were hers and much to Severus's delight, they were becoming fast friends.

"We haven't seen you two in a few days. How is Harry doing?"

Smiling at the woman, Severus nodded his head in greeting. "It wasn't a good day yesterday, but he's doing alright. How has your family been doing?"

Looking over at the kids who were rolling a large ball of snow she nodded and smiled. "We've been doing well. The kids missed Harry though, they really look up to him."

Severus gave a small nod. Her kids were a quite a big younger than Harry, and they obviously admired him because he was older. It was a good thing they were all muggles too because if they had been magical Severus could just imaging to hero worship the boy would be getting. Not that he blamed Harry, it was just how things would be.

"I don't mean to pry Severus, but you seem to be a little overprotective."

Severus smiled at the woman's concern, but then looked over at his boy who was playing happily and sighed. "It's a long story, and I rather not go into detail, but there is someone who is after Harry."

"What do you mean? Is he in the middle of a custody case?"

Severus shook his head. "No, I have full custody of him. It's the man who murdered his parents."

Looking incredulously at Severus the woman's mouth hung open. "They haven't caught him? I thought that Harry lost his parents when he was a baby?"

Nodding Severus continued to look over at his boy. "He did, but he was never caught. There are rumors now that he is back and is looking for Harry with the help of his followers."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Severus shook his head. "There are people out looking for him. We just...have to keep an eye out."

The woman nodded, but looking out at the children her mind was awash with worry. Not really for Harry, but for her own children. What if that man came for Harry and her kids were near? What would happen then?

Deciding that she needed to protect her own children first and foremost she turned to look at Severus. "I know this is going to sound cruel and crass, but I think I should take my children home now. I don't think we will be coming back to this park again. It's not that I don't trust you, and I don't love Harry as my own...it's just what if something happens to my children?"

Silently, and stealthily Severus pulled out his wand from his sleeve, before she could get off the bench and cast an obliviate charm so that she would forget everything he had just said. He didn't want Harry to lose any friends because of his big mouth. And what a big mouth it was!

For a moment, her eyes were blank, but as soon as Severus withdrew his wand and had it safely stashed back in his pocket the woman turned to him and smiled warmly as if nothing had happened.

"We haven't seen you two in a few days. How is Harry doing?"

The rest of the conversation went as normal between them and Severus made no mention of anyone after Harry. The first time he really should have known to stay silent, but he had hoped that he could confide in this nice lady without her running away. As soon as she had said she was taking her kids away though that thought had gone out the window.

Over an hour passed, as Severus watched the three children playing in the snow. Suddenly, though it seemed as if the youngest of the three had said something to Harry that distressed him greatly. Ignoring the woman who was insisting that it was probably just a childhood spat Severus started to walk over to the three. He didn't want to take a chance when it came to Harry. His emotions were too fragile.

As he did so, he noticed that Harry was becoming more and more distressed, his breath coming quicker and quicker, and then it happened; Harry ran. He was running as fast as he could down the street away from him.

Closing his eyes, Severus took a deep breath and was after him a moment later. Fortunately, he was a fast runner, but apparently not as fast as Harry, who seemed to be running for his life.

Severus supposed that they had both run more than two miles before Harry chose a spot behind a trash can to hide. Coming up slowly and with a stitch in his side, Severus limped up to the frightened boy. He really needed to get into shape.

"Harry?"

The boy put his arms over his head and curled himself into a tight ball. Sighing Severus just sat down next to Harry not caring that it smelled something awful behind the trash cans. Dead fish was _not_ an appealing smell. Careful not to frighten the boy any more Severus gently drew the boy into his lap and began to rock him back and forth.

"Calm down child. No one here will hurt you."

A silky, cold voice suddenly came from behind them though, that startled both man and child. "That is very wrong Severus. I am here to bring you both to our master, or should I say my master Severus? He is much displeased with you, but just think of proud of me he will be of me when I bring him both the trader and the brat! How lucky was I that I had to run errands!"

Severus turned and saw Lucius Malfoy standing not far off and pulling his wand out of his robe pocket. With a trembling boy in his lap, he was still able to pull out his wand faster than Lucius and stupefy him on the spot. They didn't name him a master dullest for nothing!

Looking back down at Harry who was now fighting to get away, he knew he had to get him back under the safe wards of their home. There was no doubt that Lucius had called for backup as soon as he saw them. Wanting answers, Severus stood up and held the panicking Harry to his chest and walked over to the blond man on the ground. Placing a hand on Lucius's shoulder, he apperated all three of them back to the manor.

As soon as they arrived in the living room, he carried the still terrified boy over to the floo and called for Albus. When he saw the man's face, he ordered him to come right away and to bring enchanted handcuffs that would not allow the user to use magic of any type.

Curious, but knowing better than to delay to ask questions Albus nodded and ended the floo call. Not moments later, he was standing in the living room staring open-mouthed at the sight of Lucius Malfoy stupefied on his floor. It only took seconds though for him to gain his composure back and jump into action by fastening the handcuffs on the man.

He then saw Harry, who was clinging to Severus and at the same time fighting him. Albus was at a loss of what to do. He wanted to get the whole story out of Severus of what happened, but at the same time he wanted to help Severus try to comfort Harry; the poor thing looked as if he were frightened for his life.

Making a split-second decision, Albus turned to the floo and called Don. The Healer could calm Harry while he, and Severus could get to the bottom of this mess.

When Don came through, he immediately went over to Severus and Harry ignoring the man who didn't belong in the living room. He knew he would get answers eventually, and that Harry needed his attention more. Harry had not been this distressed in a very long time.

Gently, he took Harry into his arms, but the poor boy was so distraught he didn't know what was happening and fought even more. Wrapping one arm around the boy's back and then placing one hand behind his head Don started to head upstairs. Having Harry in a place he felt comfortable would help him immensely.

When they reached Harry room, Don crossed the floor and gently placed the boy on the bed. As soon as he did, Harry bolted for the door as if to run, and Don was grateful that he had already closed and locked it magically. He had a feeling that Harry was going to try to escape. He just didn't seem to be in the right mind at the moment. Too much trauma came to pass in too short amount of time.

Walking up to the boy who had fallen down by the door and was a crying mess Don sat down next to him and drew the boy into his lap. Gently, he rested the boy's head on his shoulder and just let him cry out all the stress from the day.

When he had calmed down somewhat Don pulled Harry's head back from his shoulder and looked down at the teary face.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Sniffling Harry looked down and began to play with the end of his shirt. "Bobby...he...he said something."

Don gently tucked Harry's hair behind his ear. "What did he say Harry?"

Harry leaned forward and launched himself into Don's chest. The Healer just wrapped his arms around the boy and decided that he would just wait until he was ready to talk about it. Obviously, right now was not the right moment.

Several more minutes passed, and Harry pulled himself back from Don's chest and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. "He...he told me that he didn't want to be my friend anymore...that he thought I was cool because I was older at first...but now…he met an older, cooler boy to play with..."

Don nodded seriously. "That wasn't very nice, I'm sure that hurt very much. Did you say anything back?"

Harry lowered his head and shook it back and forth. "No...I was hurt...I ran away..."

"Did you run to your Daddy?"

Again, Harry shook his head, but a flush crossed his face.

"Why not child?"

Harry leaned his head back on Don's shoulder and shrugged. "I...I was hurting so much I didn't really know what I was doing...I just wanted to get away. Why did he say that?"

Don softly smiled down at the boy and gently began to rock him to try to soothe his nerves. "If I remember correctly Bobby is just six years old. He is a little kid Harry. He didn't know how much that statement would hurt you, and I am sure that the next time you see him, he will want to be your friend. You have to remember little kids say things sometimes they don't really mean. They just don't know any better. It's like a toddler pointing out that a girl has pimples all over her face."

Harry nodded thoughtfully against the man's shoulder. "So...so he will still want to be my friend?"

Nodding Don gently brushed back the hair on Harry's forehead. "I am sure he will. You are an amazing person Harry, and anybody would be a fool not to see that."

Harry, blushed and looked down embarrassed. He didn't take compliments well.

Gently, Don prodded forward; he needed to know if Lucius had hurt him at all. "Where did you run too?"

"I...I ran down the street...I was looking for somewhere to hide. I found some trash cans and hid behind them. I...I think Daddy followed me and was sitting next to me when Malfoy came...I heard him say how wrong my Daddy was, and then I don't remember anything else, it's all a blur."

Don gave a gentle nod and again brushed back Harry's hair that was obstructing his face. "Were you hurt anywhere by Lucius?"

Harry shook his head. "I...I think Daddy did something and then picked me up and brought us home."

Don nodded and decided to do a quick diagnostic on him anyway. He didn't want to miss anything because Harry wasn't informing him everything. He had a feeling Harry was withholding something.

When the spell came back negative, Don smiled at the boy and patted his shoulder gently. "Come on Harry, why don't you lie down for a bit and rest. I'll come back up in a while, and we can then talk some more."

Harry gave a soft nod against Don's chest; he was feeling really tired after everything. He wondered what Don wanted to talk about though.

Gently, Don lifted Harry up in his arms and then carefully got off the floor. Crossing the floor Don deposited Harry on the bed and magically transfigured Harry's play clothes into pajamas. He then pulled the blanket up from the end of the bed and carefully draped it over the boy who was already closing his eyes.

When the Healer was sure Harry was sleeping, he sat down on the edge of Harry's bed and brushed back the hair that was obstructing Harry's face. He then took Harry's glasses off for the boy and placed them on the bedside table where he knew Harry would find them.

Smiling Don once again brushed the boy's hair back and then got up. Quietly he crossed the room again, unlocking the door and then closing it gently behind him.

Walking back down the stairs Don paused at the entrance of the living room and looked around. Albus was kneeling down beside a still unconscious Lucius and had his hands placed on either side of the man's head.

Walking in a bit more Don placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder to gain his attention. Turning to look at the Healer, Severus closed his eyes. "He is assimilating my memories and modifying Lucius's to match. That way Albus can testify what happened instead of me. They are more likely to believe him than I."

Don gave a small nod and gently led the man to sit down on the couch. "Are you alright Severus?"

The man heaved a sigh and nodded. "I'm alright. How is Harry? He was so distraught..."

Don smiled at the man whose worry was so laced in his voice it was nearly palpable. "He is alright Severus, but we need to talk with him together after he has had his nap. We need to make sure he practices his breathing technique to calm himself instead of running off. He was lucky you were able to catch up with him, and Lucius did not find him alone."

Severus nodded and leaned forward to place his head in his hands. "I know. I was going to talk with him when he calmed, but then Lucius came, and you know the rest from there. He didn't even try breathing to calm himself, he just bolted."

The Healer nodded and placed a gentle hand on Severus's back. "We will talk with him Severus; it will be alright."

Nodding Severus straightened up. "Is it my fault he bolted? Have we not been practicing his breathing exercises enough?"

"Severus, we just started this a week ago. It's going to take time for Harry to realize he is panicking and try to calm himself."

Closing his eyes, Severus nodded, but then looked up and over at Albus, who had gotten up from Lucius's side and was looking gently at the two sitting on the couch. "Are you finished?"

The older man nodded. "I am and should take him in right away, but I want to make sure you are alright before I go."

Severus sighed; he was kind of tired of people asking him if he was ok. Even if they did _mean_ th_e _best and did want to make sure he was in the right frame of mind.

Albus smiled and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. " I know Severus; that question can be tiring. "

The older man looked over at Don and rose an eyebrow. Don had been increasingly persistent these last few weeks about his health and almost overbearing at times.

After Albus had tried to prepare Severus for the inevitable, Don had sussed out the real reason Albus wanted to take Voldemort on alone. It was true that Albus didn't want anyone else hurt, but there was also his health to consider. He didn't have much time on this earth, one way or another, and it was just better for him to go this way. He rather go out with a bang than….the alternative.

He had developed something in the last few years muggles called cancer in his lungs, specifically Asbestos cancer. Poppy had said that it was becoming almost an epidemic in the muggle world where someone berthed in this chemical called asbestos and it caused these cuts in their lungs where the cancer formed. Apparently, he had been exposed to this asbestos stuff sometime thirty years ago, and things had grown from there.

He wasn't really concerned about himself though, he was more concerned about Severus...and now Harry. As soon as he had found out about this...cancer after his yearly exam a few years ago he had immediately written up his will and had decided that it would be for the best if he kept everything hidden and just prepare Severus when the time came. Why worry Severus more than need be? He knew that Severus would cause a fuss and insist that he try everything they could to prolong him life, but there was no cure for what he had, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life feeling sick in a bed.

Persistent the Healer was though, Albus had finally told him why he hadn't let him do more than a diagnostic charm on him in the last few years. Diagnostic charms weren't everything after all and this was something that wouldn't show up on that kind of scan.

Sighing sadly Don had just nodded, but had insisted that Albus at least try to cure the cancer. Albus knew that it was impossible though, and just too late to attempt anything. Eventually, he had convinced the Healer what he knew was true, and he had to reluctantly agree not to tell Severus. Patent confidentiality after all.

Knocking Albus out of his thoughts Don nodded at him understanding what the older man was saying without really saying it. Albus just smiled and patted Severus on the arm gently again knowing he got his message across.

"I should go and put Lucius to bed in his cell then."

Both adults nodded and watched as Albus flicked his wand at the tied up unconscious man and had him floating behind him. He then activated the floo and stepped through with the body behind him.

As soon as Albus left, Don turned back to Severus and smiled. " Come on Severus, why don't you, and I go and see what Maya has going on in the kitchen. Maybe we can help her for a bit. "

Severus nodded and was grateful the Healer knew him so well. Cooking helped him calm down and relax like potions did, but it was even less stressful and messy.

* * *

><p>An hour gone, and angle cake made Severus sat down on a stool at the counter. Don came over and looked at the newly baked cake that sat in front of the man. He wasn't even really fond of angle food cake, but he knew Harry would like it.<p>

"Ready to go talk with Harry now?"

Severus nodded and stood up. "Maya?"

The elf happily jumped up and down in front of him. "Yes, Master! Whats can I do for you?"

Smiling Severus shook his head fondly. "Can you run out and buy some strawberries and blueberries to put over this cake? I think Harry will enjoy that."

Still, bouncing up and down the elf nodded and with a squeal and a snap she was gone causing both men to smile. She was like the perfect mood lifter; she could always make Severus smile no matter what the situation was.

Severus then brushed his robes of the flower that had decided to stick to him and turned to the Healer. It was almost as bad as potion ingredient's and fumes that stuck to him, but at least flower didn't smell, and it was easily brushed off. "Lead the way."

Don nodded and the two headed upstairs to Harry's room.

Gently Severus opened to boy's door and smiled when he saw the boy snuggled up beneath the blanket Don had placed on him. Coming over he sat down on the side of the bed and softly shook Harry's shoulder to wake him. He almost regretted waking the sleeping boy, but he knew Harry would never sleep tonight if he slept anymore.

Turning from his side Harry opened his eyes slowly and smiled when he saw Severus. "Hi Daddy."

Smiling Severus bent forward and placed a gentle kiss of Harry's forehead. "How are you feeling child?"

Harry yawned wide, but nodded. "Alright, I had a funny dream about a large snake that was looking for something."

"Why was it funny Harry?"

Yawning again Harry shrugged his shoulders. "He kept saying your name Daddy."

Severus looked over at Don discreetly and shot him a worried look, but then he looked down at Harry and replaced his worried face with a smile. He didn't want to worry Harry.

"Do you remember anything else Harry?"

The boy shook his head. "No...Is _he_ still downstairs?"

Gently Severus reached forward and placed Harry's glasses on his face. "No child, Albus took him to the Ministry to be locked up. He can't ever get out again."

Harry nodded his head. "It was really scary..."

Severus nodded and placed a gentle hand on Harry's cheek. "I know it was. I was scared too; I didn't want you to get hurt."

Harry looked down and blushed.

Gently Severus removed his hand from Harry's face. "Why don't you get changed and then Don and I need to talk with you about something."

The boy gave a soft nod and made a move to sit up in bed. Severus smiled at Harry and got up from the bed. "We'll wait for you in your play room. Is that alright?"

Harry gave a small nod and got off the bed so Severus and Don made their way to the other room closing the door behind them to give Harry some privacy.

Quickly they crossed the room and Severus transfigured the table and chairs into a couch so that it would be more comfortable for them all. As soon as the couch was transfigured Severus sat down on one end and Don sat on the other so that Harry could sit between them.

Leaning over Don rested a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Breathe Severus, just breathe. You saw for yourself Harry is fine."

The man nodded and let out the breath he was holding. He didn't really know why, but he was slightly nervous. Maybe, he just didn't want to hear why Harry had run in the other direction when he had seen him come near.

Just a few moments later, Harry shyly came in the room and hovered in the doorway. Gently Severus smiled at the boy and patted the seat next to him. "Come sit down child."

Harry came over and sat between the two men, but he nervously put his hands in his lap and played with the ends of his shirt. To try to calm the boy Severus gently placed an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to his side.

"Calm down Harry. We just want to talk with you."

The boy gave a soft nod and leaned into Severus to draw some comfort and calm his nerves. Taking the boy's cue Severus pulled Harry a little closer and gently ran his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Don told me what Bobby said to you earlier. I know hearing something like that can be very upsetting. What have we been showing you to do when something upsets you?"

Harry looked down at his lap. "My breathing exercises...I couldn't think..."

Severus tightened his grip on Harry a little. "That's ok Harry, but we really have to work on that."

The boy gave a soft nod. "I'm...I'm sorry..."

Don smiled at the boy. "Harry, no need to apologize. We just need to practice some more so it becomes second nature. Your Daddy here will help you every morning to practice, I imagine it will be good for him too and help him calm his nerves."

The Healer sent a wink to Severus who tried to look miffed that Don would even consider that he needed help calming down. He knew though that the exercises would be good for the both of them. It would also be another bonding activity for the duo.

Harry looked up at Severus amused and then rested his head on the man's side relaxing into the warmth.

Gently Severus tried to continue with the conversation. "Harry, I also need to ask why you ran from me? I saw you looking right at me, and then you took off in the opposite direction."

Harry turned and buried his face in Severus's side. "I'm sorry."

Bringing his other arm around Harry Severus embraced him in a gentle hug. "It's alright Harry, can you just tell me what was going on in your head?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I...I thought...if he didn't want to be my friend anymore...then...then..."

Severus hugged the boy a little closer and gently stroked the back of his head while looking over at the Healer.

"Oh child...I could never let you go...I could never leave you."

Don smiled encouragingly at Severus and just sat back while he watched the man soothe his son. He knew why Severus had asked him to sit here with him; the poor man was having doubts of his parenting skills after Harry had bolted the other way. It seemed like Severus now knew that Harry had just been scared, and he meant nothing when he had run from him.

Severus pulled Harry back a little bit and looked at him in the face. Gently he wiped away the few tears that had fallen from the boy's face and smiled. "Know Harry, that you can always come to me with anything. I will always be here for you."

Harry gave a small nod and rested his head back on Severus's chest. The man really hoped that Harry understood that he could come to him when he had a problem.

Pulling Harry back again Severus looked at Harry in the eyes. "You can't run away like that again Harry. It is dangerous. What if Lucius had found you by yourself, you could have been hurt."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry Daddy...are you going to...punish me?"

Severus sighed and shook his head while he pulled Harry close to his chest. "No child, but you cannot do that again. You scared me."

Don leaned forward and placed a gentle hand on Harry's back. It was time to knock both of them out of this somber mood and try to get them back to some form of normalcy. "I'll go set up the equipment to start you physical therapy, ok Harry?"

The boy nodded against Severus's chest not quite ready to let go. He was going to soak up as much comfort as he could before tonight. Harry didn't know whether he would get any more after tonight. He had made his decision.

Don stood up after patting Harry's back gently and then went over to the exercise toys to set them up for their exercises.

Eventually, Harry pulled back from Severus and sent his Daddy a shaky smile. Severus just gave him one last hug and then set the boy down on his feet. "Do you want me to stay here with you two?"

Shyly Harry looked at the ground and nodded. "Could...could you help me stretch?"

Severus smiled and stood up. "Of course Harry."

Walking over to the soft plush exercises carpet Harry followed by Severus sat down and began to stretch out their muscles.

* * *

><p>Much later that night, just after Severus had put Harry to bed the boy sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed. He sighed and then got up off the bed and quickly made it cautious not to wake the kitten. Equally, as careful he took the spare blanket from the end of the bed and folded it up neatly. Then, moving to his dresser he picked out his backpack and stuffed the blanket in it and a few sets of clothes.<p>

When he was sure that he had enough clothes, he turned to the small drawer in his dresser and opened it. His Daddy allowed him to keep this draw with food in it to make him feel more comfortable, and at the moment he was very glad. He took out the few sandwiches he always kept there under a status charm and put those in atop of his clothes. It was only enough for a few meals, but it was better than nothing.

Then with great care Harry reached in a box his Daddy had placed on the table for his emergency money and vault key for him. He had said that this was not everyday spending money, but it was meant for him to use if something happened, and he needed to get somewhere or call for a medic. Feeling guilty about taking the money and key Harry placed it in an outside pocket in the backpack. He would find someway to replace it somehow.

Knowing he now had all the necessities Harry pulled out the small stuffed cat Severus had given him and placed that in the bag along with the photo he had rescued from his parent's home. He didn't want to leave either behind, he still treasured them both as prized possessions.

Zipping up the bag Harry looked around the room one last time making sure that he hadn't missed anything and checking to see whether his nosey kitten was still asleep. Assured he had everything he needed and that Arwen was sleeping peacefully Harry grabbed his jacket and broom from the corner of the room and quietly opened the window.

Putting on the jacket he looked back once more and sighed. Then he jumped on his broom and out the window. He hated leaving everything behind, but he knew he had to do this. His staying here just put everything he loved in danger, including his Daddy. Today had just reinforced that thought. He didn't want his Daddy in any danger; he loved him too much.

Hovering in the air, Harry quietly shut the window and flew off into the night not knowing where he was going or what he was going to do. Maybe he would try to find the Leaky Cauldron Hagrid had taken him there last year and said it was an inn. He could stay there until he knew where he was going.


	31. The Chase

**Hello everyone, I am so sorry that this chapter has teken so long to get up here. I just havent had any time lately to do much more than program my app.**

**On that note, I hope to get it up in the app store this month! It takes a month for apple to approve it. Feel free to check it out, it's called Cheap Eats and it's currently live on my website (still a few minor bugs, if you see anything glarring met me know!) catlyndesigns d0t n.e.t / App/ (Had to get really creative with the website name haha) Keep in mind it will look decent on a web browser, but it is optimized mainly for the iphone and ipad.**

**Anyways, thank you all so much for reading my story and reviewing it. Writing is a hobby of mine and it means so much that you guys actually like my rambeling! On somewhat the same note the prequil of this story is up and is called Severus's Savior. Go check it out!**

**Natalya Tonks- Dont worry this hasnt been abandoned. As I said above I have just been overwhelmingly busy!**

**Deathly sarcasm- Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying!**

**Nightshade's sydneylover150 - While I think Bobby's comment struck a nerve in Harry, it was more Harry wanting to keep his Daddy safe from all harm. He beleives that anyone near him will eventually be hurt and he didnt want that to happen to Severus.**

* * *

><p>Severus was restless. Something wasn't right; he could just feel it in his bones. It reminded him of the feeling he had when Harry was at Diaz's and that thought alone scared him. Shaking that worried thought from his head Severus sat on the edge of his bed and shoved his feet into his slippers so that he could go check on the house. Hopefully, going to check on Harry would calm his nerves and stop his heart from jumping from his chest.<p>

As he wrapped his robe around his shoulders, Severus grabbed his wand from his bedside table and shoved it in his pocket. Sighing he pushed his door open and walked across the hall to see his son.

Gently, he pushed his son's door open and looked over at the bed where Harry should be. Realizing that the bed was empty his eye's opened wide and he ran to the bed frantically looking around his heart beating faster by the moment.

"Harry! Harry, where are you? Harry! Oh Merlin, Harry!"

All the commotion woke the kitten who was sleeping on the edge of the bed and caused her to jump up with a start. When she saw her master's Daddy scouring the room and the small boy nowhere in sight, she knew exactly what had happened and she swore to herself. Her human had run away. She knew she should have slept on his chest so that he couldn't escape.

Gaining some of his composure back, but still lost in his panic Severus cast a point me spell to try to find his son. He hoped that Harry was just hiding somewhere in the house, but his worst fear was confirmed when his wand pointed out the window to the woods.

Closing his eyes, Severus took a deep breath to try to calm himself before he jumped into action. His mind was going a mile a minute with what could have happened to his boy. Why had he run away? Was he hurt? Was he lost? Was he cold?

Severus collapsed down on the bed, and his head went into his hands. "Oh Merlin."

Arwen came next to the man though, and gently licked the exposed part of his ankle to gain his attention and try to snap him out of some of his worry so that he would jump into action. Every moment Harry was out there alone was a moment more he could be in danger.

Looking at his leg where the kitten was nudging him Severus reached down and picked the kitten up. "Ok Arwen, let's go form a search party and find Harry. Why did Harry have to go in the forest? Point me spells don't work in there."

Quickly, the man got off the bed and practically ran to the floo to contact everyone he knew could help. First; of course, he called Albus and Don, but then he also called Minerva, Arthur, and Remus. The more hands searching for Harry the faster they would find him.

He had no idea where Harry could be and just that thought caused his panic to become even more prominent and his heart to pound even harder. He was so lost in his panic that as Severus was sitting back on the floor, didn't notice the five people who had arrived in his home even though he had just called them.

Surprising all in the room, it was Minerva, who immediately crouched down before Severus and just wrapped him up in a comforting embrace. She knew that she had to calm the man if they wanted his help with the search. "Severus, do you have any idea where he went to? "

All the shock and hurt hit Severus full force as he shook his head into the woman's shoulder. "I...I don't know...he's gone...Oh Merlin, he gone!"

Minerva just wrapped her arm around him and rested her hand on the back of Severus's head. "It's ok Severus. We'll find him. Let Don here help you calm down, and then we'll all set out to look for him."

As Severus nodded Don came up behind them and knelt down resting a hand on the man's forehead and started to send him calming magic. "That's right Severus, nice and calm."

A few short minutes later Don removed his hand from Severus's forehead and stood up. Extending a hand he helped first Minerva up and then Severus.

With her hand still on Severus's shoulder Minerva looked at the other's in the room and started to make a game plan. They would find Harry no matter what it took. "Alright, Severus and I will stay here and check the front part of the forest and Maya will stay in the house in case Harry comes back here. Arthur, and Remus can you check the Leaky Cauldron? Hagrid said he took him there last year, he might go back there because it's familiar. Don, can you check St. Mungo's and The Clinic in case anyone brings him in? And Albus, I'm assuming Harry went by broom. Can you get up on a broom and check the skies?"

All in the room nodded and were grateful that the woman was taking charge of the situation. She always had a clear mind under stress, much more so than Albus. Especially when he was just as worried about Harry as Severus. It was no mistake that Don now had a hand on his shoulder and was trying to send him calming magic.

"Everyone here can cast a Patronus Charm. So if anyone changes locations or finds Harry send one to the group, so we can all stay in the loop. Communication is going to be key to finding Harry."

Again, everyone in the room nodded in agreement and then filtered out to look for the missing boy. They all were greatly worried about Harry. It was a cold night and from the looks of it Harry had only grabbed his thin coat to wear and not his winter one.

While they were walking Minerva looked worriedly over at her still distressed colleague. There was a reason she had partnered up with Severus for this search. She knew just how much Severus cared for Harry and how much this must be hurting his heart. Not only that his child was missing, but that he had run away from _him._

She also wanted to show that no matter what, she was there for Severus. Albus had let things slip over the last few years and she had a sneaking suspicion that Severus was going to need some major support sometime in the future. By Merlin, _she _didn't know what would happen if Albus was hurt or worse. He had been that one solid stone for her all these years and losing him was a scary thought.

Not wanting to think about Albus's health anymore Minerva focused her attention back on the man before her.

"Are you alright Severus?"

Severus looked over at the woman and gave a small nod. "Half of me is worried out of my mind, and the other half wants to paddle Harry's behind until he can't sit down."

Minerva smiled and shook her head fondly. "Parental instincts. Talk with him first though, and find out what caused him to run."

Severus looked over at Minerva. "Don't worry, I will. I want to know exactly what caused him to run away. Was it something I said or did? I just keep running last night over an over in my head…and I don't know."

Minerva shot a sad smile at Severus. Of course he would blame himself, this was _Severus_ she was talking to.

Sighing Minerva shot a soft look over at the younger man. "Severus, I am sure this has nothing to do with anything you said or did."

"How do you _know_ that? I mean I could have said something earlier that frightened him or made him feel like had to get out of there. I don't know….I just wish he came to me instead of running away. I thought he trusted me."

"I know Severus. Harry does have a habit of taking things in his own hands. It's a bad habit and it's going to take a long time to break it I am sure it has nothing to do with trust."

Severus nodded. "I thought we were starting to break that habit, but I guess not."

"It takes time."

"I know."

Nodding Minerva placed a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Split up? We can cover more ground that way."

"I'll go east and you go west?"

Agreeing Minerva gave Severus's shoulder one last pat and turned to go in the other direction.

As soon as Don departed from the house he Apparited to the wizarding hospital to check the rosters. When he could not find Harry, he put the hospital on alert in case Harry came through. If the child was brought here, he would know about it in an instant. As soon as he was finished at the hospital, he did the same with the clinic, making sure that if Harry made it there he would know immediately.

Knowing that he could do no more at the hospital or the clinic, Don sent everyone a Patronus Charm telling them that he would join Albus in the sky. Then, he Apparited himself and his broom to where he knew Albus should be hovering. He wanted to see Albus and speak with him before they parted ways.

When he reached the skies above the manor, he looked around for the elder man and was grateful he saw him flying a little way off. Quickly, he flew over to him and hovered gracefully by the older man's side.

"Any luck Albus?"

The man shook his head. "I'm going to put charms on all the windows so I'll know if anyone leaves the house after this is over. I can't believe Harry ran. I mean I had charms on the doors, but I never imagined Harry leaving through the window. Merlin, I never thought he would run away. I guess this afternoon affected him more than I thought."

"This is not your fault Albus. You know that if Harry really wants to do something he will find a way. Much like someone else I know."

Albus looked over at Don and smiled. "You are right. I remember when Severus ran away. My god I thought I was having a heart attack!"

"I remember when you called me, you were just as frazzled as I am sure Severus is right now. I even remember when we found him you had a long discussion with him. You were fortunate though that he didn't have a broom."

The man nodded looking down at the ground beneath him.. "I _was _lucky, unfortunately now we aren't. "

"Maybe not, but we will find him unharmed. I'm sure."

The older man nodded again. "Should we split up?"

"Yes, I'll find you when we find him."

With that Don went the other way to search for the boy. Hopefully, they would find him soon. As it got later, it got colder and if Don remembered correctly he had even spotted Harry's winter clothes by the door.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Harry's broom landed somewhere in the dark forest. He didn't know where he was, but he was getting really tired and unsteady on his broom, so he had decided to walk for a little while. Maybe, there was a reason Madam Pomfrey and Don had grounded him from flying for a while.<p>

He was also really cold. He had only put on his flimsy jacket and some warn trainers that he had left in his room. The rest of his winter clothing had been downstairs and he hadn't wanted to chance being caught, but now he was wishing he had taken that chance. Maybe then he wouldn't be as cold as he was now.

Shivering slightly he pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders and pushed that thought for later. Harry looked around where he had landed and started to move forward again. As he started to walk he involuntary shuddered; it was _really_ cold and getting darker by the moment. He wasn't scared though, no he wasn't scared at all.

In the distance, Harry heard a wolf howl, and he jumped a little. Maybe he was just a little scared.

It was awfully dark where he was...and was that something moving in the bushes over there?

Harry hugged his broom close to his chest as he walked forward slowly. He could do this; he would be just fine. It was just the wind and that wolf was far away.

Continuing down the strange path he had landed on Harry took his wand out of his pocket and clutched it tightly pointing it in front of him. He knew he wouldn't use it, but it made him feel more comfortable holding it like that. Just in case something happened, he knew he was prepared.

"Harry!"

Harry jumped at the sound of his Daddy's voice. He didn't know what to do. Apparently, his Daddy was looking for him, but how did he knew he was gone. He wasn't supposed to find out until the morning. He had made sure to escape the house after he had fallen asleep and he had not disturbed Arewn in the slightest when he had packed or left.

A part of him wanted to run full force into Severus's arms accepting the warmth and comfort he was sure to offer, but then the other, louder part of him wanted to run and hide so that his Daddy wouldn't find him. He didn't want him to get hurt, and he knew that anyone who was near him for too long would be hurt. Today had shown that loud and clear and he would not take another chance like that. If someone wanted to hurt him so be it, but he didn't want his Daddy getting hurt too.

With that in mind, Harry started to run down the path as fast as he could away from the man who was calling for him. It was so dark though that Harry could barely see where he was going, and he ran straight into a tree knocking him to the ground and his shoulder out-of-place.

Harry let out a shrill scream as he hit the ground, and the boy heard footsteps coming closer, quickly. Ignoring the pain in his arm and the stars now in his vision Harry got up off the ground and continued running as quickly as he could further down the path. He knew he just couldn't get caught.

"Harry! Harry! It's Severus; I'm not going to hurt you!"

With tears in his eyes, Harry ran fast down the path dropping his broom and his backpack to make himself faster. The only thought going through his mind was that he didn't want his Daddy to get hurt and he would do anything to keep his Daddy safe. Even if that meant he was putting himself in danger.

Severus was fast behind him though, and only slowed down to pick his son's stuff and shrink it to put it in his pocket. Soon, he was right on Harry's tail and when he was close enough he scooped him up into his arms grabbing him tightly from behind.

"Calm down Harry, I have you. Please stop struggling, you're safe."

Harry only began to struggle all the more at Severus's statement though. The loudest part of his brain was still telling him that he had to get away, that he had to protect his Daddy no matter what and him being near him was putting him in danger.

"Harry, what's wrong? Talk with me."

Harry's feelings were out of control though, and he didn't really hear Severus or what he was saying. It was like an angry buzzing in his head. He just knew he had to get away. Closing his eyes tight Harry suddenly felt a tight squeezing sensation in his chest making it hard for him to breathe.

In a moment though, it was over and Harry no longer felt the warm support of body behind him. Opening his eyes Harry looked around and took a deep, shaky breath. His Daddy was no longer with him, but he didn't know where he was, he didn't have his broom or anything he had brought with him, and now there was no path to follow.

Drawing his knees to his chest Harry buried his face in them and let the few tears he had been holding back fall. He was so scared; he was now completely and utterly lost in the dark forest and was nowhere near a path. At least with his broom he could have always escaped into the sky. What was he going to do now?

While Harry was breaking down in the cold forest, Severus was doing much of the same. As soon as he had seen Harry, he had cast his deer Patronus to the other members of the search team that he had him, but now he had to send another very different one. He had lost his child for the second time that night and it broke his heart just the same.

Waving his wand, he slowly told the deer his message and then got off the ground to see if he could find Harry again. At least now he knew that Harry was here somewhere in the forest and not elsewhere. Accidental magic could only carry you so far. That was not all a necessary a good thing though, this forest just like any others

had its dangers. There were wild animals in here and not to mention Death Eaters could be looking for his son.

As he stood up Minerva came running over as fast as she could. "Severus, what happened?"

"He had a burst of accidental magic and Apparited himself somewhere. We have to find him he's hurt and scared!"

"Alright Severus, we'll find him. Don't worry."

Minerva put her arm around Severus's shoulder and started to walk through the forest quickly. It was obvious that they could not split up now. Severus was just too distraught to be by himself. Also, she knew that now they knew Harry was in the forest that the rest of the team would come here to aid the search.

And Minerva was right. As soon as the rest of the group had received his message, they had beelined it to the forest to help find Harry.

Arthur was first to come to Severus and Minerva's aid. He had Apparited right to the darkest part of the forest and had lit his wand up with a lumos charm. He was going to find this child, one way, or another, no matter what it took.

Traveling deeper into the forest Arthur heard the sound of someone sobbing deeply. Hope and sorrow filled him as he followed that sound, he was led to a small clearing and saw just whom he was looking for. Slowly, and quietly he came up beside Harry and sat down on the hard ground he gently placed an arm around the boy's shoulder.

As soon as the man's arm hit the boy's shoulder Harry jumped and started at shock at the man and looked over at him with a wild look in his eyes.

"Harry, it's Arthur. I'm Ron's Father, remember?"

The boy didn't know what came over him, but he launched himself at the man and held on tightly crying into the soft, warn fabric. Holding Harry to his chest Arthur waved his wand and told the rest of the search party that he had found Harry, but that would be a while before they would be back. He needed to calm the child and make sure he was alright to move.

Placing an arm around Harry's back Arthur held the boy close while he silently cast a warming charm over them. It alarmed him just how cold Harry was and that he was not dressed in proper outside wear this time of year. "It's alright Harry; I'm here."

While Harry was crying, he started to spew out his feelings not really realizing what he was doing. He was just so upset and scared.

"I...I don't want him to get hurt! I love him, and he'll get hurt if he's around me!"

Arthur stroked the boy's back and started to rock him gently. He didn't really know how to soothe the boy other than being there for him. He wasn't really sure what Harry was talking about, everything was coming out as mumbled sobs. The boy needed to calm down before he could say anything of any value to him.

Eventually that point came, and Arthur knew that it was mainly because of pure exhaustion.

Gently, the man pulled Harry back a bit and looked him in the eyes. "Child who don't you want to get hurt? Is that why you ran away?"

Harry buried his face back in the soft worn robes before him. "Daddy is going to get hurt if I stay...I don't want him hurt!"

"Hush child, your Daddy is a very strong man, and he won't get hurt. Definitely not because you live with him."

Against his shoulder, Harry shook his head. "No, everyone I love gets hurt! Malfoy almost hurt him today; I don't want him hurt!"

Arthur sighed and rested a hand on the back of Harry's head. It seemed he was going to have to pull out the big guns to convince Harry that Severus was in no danger living with him.

"Did you know that Severus was hurt tonight?"

Harry looked up at the man with shock in his face. "Is he alright?"

The man smiled at the boy. "No, his heart hurts so much that even Don was having trouble calming him down."

Worriedly Harry continued looking up at him. "What happened?"

"His child that he loves with all his heart went missing tonight, and that hurt his heart very much. He loves you so much Harry, and having you run away like this made him sick with worry. I am positive Harry that he would rather have you with him than anything else. He is a strong man, Harry, and will do anything to protect you."

As the boy rested his face back on the man's robes Arthur again rested his arm around his back. He knew this was hard for Harry to hear, and it was hard for him to say, but it was true. He knew it was, because that is what any parent would feel. That was what he felt when any of his children went missing of were in trouble and by Merlin, his kids were in danger more than he wished was possible. And unbeknownst to Harry, he was grouped in there with his children, he was an honorary Weasley.

"I...I don't want him hurt..."

Arthur let out a small sigh and set a gentle hand onto of Harry's messy mop of hair. "Child...I promise you he won't be hurt. He misses you very much, do you want to go home and stop his worrying?"

Against Arthur's shoulder, the boy shook his head. "I'll get him hurt!"

Exasperated Arthur bent over and placed a gentle kiss to the top of the boy's head. "How Harry?"

He was hoping oh so much that he could get Harry back to the house soon, but it seemed that was not going to be the case. Harry had to be calm before they could move any more. He didn't want Harry to try to run again or have another burst of accidental magic. By Merlin if he Apparated again, he didn't know what he would do.

"Voldemort wants me...if I'm not there, then Daddy won't be hurt!"

"Look at me Harry."

The boy looked up at the man with tears in his eyes. Anyone in their right mind could see the distress on the boy's face. Not that people were after him, but that his Daddy might get in the way and be hurt.

Gently, Arthur reached forward and placed a stray piece of hair behind Harry's ear. "You know of your Daddy's past, right Harry?"

The boy gave a soft nod.

"Then, you should know that the Death Eaters would be still be after him if you were not with him. He can defend himself though, and he knew that when he left the Death Eater ranks. You though, while talented for your age, cannot defend yourself against Death Eaters. That is why it is so dangerous for you to be alone out of the house. Promise me Harry, you will not run away like this again."

The boy looked down and rested his head against the man's shoulder. "I put him in more danger though..."

Sighing again Arthur shook his head. "No, you don't Harry, but you are putting yourself into danger by running away."

Harry looked up at Arthur with a slight but of worry in his eyes. "I...I put myself in danger?"

Harry had not thought that he was putting himself in danger when he left. He was so focused on keeping his Daddy safe; he hadn't thought of himself at all. Yes, he knew that Death Eaters were after him, and that was why he had to leave, but he hadn't really thought he was putting himself in danger. He could defend himself after all…well, kinda...

"Yes Harry, you put yourself in danger. Let's get back to the house and make you safe again, alright?"

Miserably Harry leaned his head against the man again and nodded. He was now a little worried what his punishment would be for putting himself in danger, and he was remembering his first spanking. He wasn't scared of it, but it was something that he didn't enjoy or look forward to either.

Gently, Arthur brushed back Harry's hair. "What's wrong child?"

"I don't _want_ to be punished."

Arthur rose an eyebrow at the almost whine. "I don't think anyone ever_ wants_ to be punished Harry."

Harry, blushed and buried his head in the man's robes. "He's going to be mad though..."

Rubbing Harry's back gently Arthur looked down at the messy mop of hair with a small smile. "I think he's more worried and frightened than mad Harry, but I am sure that when that worry passes he will not be too happy that you ran away. He will understand though once you talk with him, and won't be _mad_"

The boy let out a small sigh and nodded into the soft robes.

"Ready to home now Harry?"

Again, the boy nodded making Arthur smile. "Alright then, let's get you home to your Daddy."

Arthur stood up and silently cast a weight altering spell on the bundle in his arms. He also cast another small warming charm when he felt just how chilled the boy's hands still were. It seemed that Harry had only put on a jacket on top of his pajamas, and they were not enough to keep him warm. Especially with the snow on the ground.

Hiking Harry up a little more onto his hip Arthur started to walk towards the manor. He would have Apparated them to the home, but he had a feeling that Harry needed the little extra time to calm down and maybe be lulled to sleep. Plus ironically, they were not that far from the house. In Harry's panic and fear he must have been turned around somehow.

In just ten minutes, they were standing in front of the manor and Severus and Don were rushing out the front doors. Arthur looked down at the sleepy boy in his arms and then held up a finger to his mouth signaling the approaching men to be quiet. Harry must be exhausted after all the activity he had tonight.

Slowly now Don and Severus came near the two. Severus came around and gently took Harry from Arthur's arms and hugged him close to his chest. His son was home and safe.

"M'sorry…"

Severus looked down at the half-asleep child in his arms and shook his head. "It's alright; we'll talk more in the morning. Sleep now Harry."

The boy nodded sleepily and snuggled his face into the familiar scented robes that he loved and listened to the calming sound of his father's heart beat. He was so tired right now; he would worry about punishments and such in the morning. Right now he just wanted sleep.

Hoisting Harry up a bit higher and getting a better grip on him, he looked over at Arthur gratefully. "Thank you, thank you so much..."

The man just shook his head. "No need, let's get Harry inside and in bed. It seems as though he hurt his arm somehow."

Looking back down at Harry, Severus nodded. "Can...can you stay for a little? I know it's late, but..."

The man smiled and came closer to Severus patting him on the shoulder. "Come on I'll help you get Harry settled."

Arthur looked over at Don, and the Healer nodded understanding that Arthur wanted to make sure everyone was ok befo_re _he left. It was his father instinct kicking in and he wasn't sure, but he had a suspicion that it was not just Harry the man was worried about.

With, that the three adults and small boy started to walk back inside where the rest of the search party was waiting for them. They all wanted to make sure Harry was safe and sound. While Harry might not know it, he had been silently building up a makeshift family around himself who cared for him greatly.

When they came in the front  
>door of the manor, all that were waiting for them came rushing forward wanting to see that the small boy was truly ok.<p>

Minerva was the first to break through the crowd. She came up to Severus and gently placed a hand on Harry's forehead. "He's so cold; he's lucky he isn't hyperthermic. I ought to scold him for such recklessness when he wakes up as his head of house, but..."

Severus smiled at the strict woman before him. He knew that under any other circumstances, she would scold the boy and him until the next eclipse, but with Harry looking so _small_ it was hard to do so. He didn't know how he was going to talk with Harry in the morning. He knew he should punish the boy somehow, but he didn't want to be too harsh...

"I know Minerva. I have to get him up to bed, and Don needs to check him over. We'll see you in the morning where you can tell him off, ok?"

The woman smiled and looked up at Severus. "Ok Severus, promise me you'll take care of yourself too? Don't stay by his bed all night. Get some sleep yourself."

The man nodded and looked down at his boy. Minerva caught him by surprise though, and leaned forward placing a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Call me if you need anything Severus."

Blushing Severus looked up at the woman who had always given him somewhat of a sanctuary, especially in his school days. She was the only one the marauders had truly feared and respected, and thus she had somewhat protected him. "I will."

Nodding the woman backed away and disappeared through the floo. More than likely she had things to do with her other lions; he could only imagine what the twins would be doing in her absence. It didn't matter that it was the middle of the night; they would be up to something he was sure.

When Minerva had gone Severus started to walk to the staircase again, but could not help noticing Remus standing somewhat unsure by the couch. He and Harry had not met yet, so he was sure that was why he was keeping his distance, but from the look on the man's face he could tell he just wanted to rush forward and hold the boy for himself. It must be taking great restrain for him not to rush forward and take the boy into his arms.

Sighing he looked down at the boy who was warming nicely and smiled at him gently. Then with the thought of him going soft Severus turned and started to walk back towards the wolf. The man had come and helped him as soon as he called and had been there for the first year of the boy's life.

As he came closer Remus shied away a little. The werewolf didn't know what to do. He desperately wanted to see his cub, but he knew Harry ready wasn't yet to see him. Should he stay and see Harry or should he back away and make way for Severus?

"Remus it's alright. He's asleep, come here."

The man looked up at Severus with a slight glint of gratitude in his eyes and came closer. He looked down at the small boy and brushed back the hair from Harry's forehead. "He's so small. Do you think I can come by soon and get to know him?"

Remus looked hopefully up at Severus. Severus smiled at him and gave a small nod. "I think if it was just you, then in a few days. He remembers you, or at least bits and pieces. I think we should take it slow though."

Remus looked back down at the boy and stoked his cheek gently. "He looks so much like his mother. Thank you Severus, I will see you in a few days?"

Severus nodded and then made his way upstairs again with Arthur, Albus, and Don behind him. Remus stayed downstairs for a few moments and then left to go home.

* * *

><p>Upstairs Severus lay Harry gently on his bed and then regretfully stepped aside for Don to come and check over his son. As he did Arthur placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder and motioned for him to come and sit down with him. With a sad glance at his son Severus nodded knowing he would be no help to the Healer and would likely kick him out soon anyway.<p>

Severus sat down in the rocking chair he had spent so many nights rocking Harry and soothing him and watched as Arthur conjured up a chair and sat down across from him. "Did Harry tell you why he ran away?"

Arthur gave a soft nod and then told him of his conversation with Harry. "He was so worried about your safety it was heartbreaking."

Severus sighed and rested his head in his hands. "What should I do?"

Albus came up behind Severus and placed a gentle hand on Severus's shoulder. "What you have been doing Severus, take care of him. Explain to him that you want him to be with you no matter what, that he can't leave the house without an adult, and then you will have to punish him for running off no matter the reasons."

Severus looked up at Albus and then over at Arthur. "Should I make him stand in the corner or ground him?"

Arthur looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "Ron told me the rules you gave Harry. I, myself have very similar rules for my children. I'm sure you remember what you told him would happen if he put his life in danger."

Miserably, Severus nodded. "And earlier I was ready to spank him for scarring me so, but he was so cold...and is it the right thing to do?"

Albus came up behind him and squeezed Severus's shoulder gently. "You remember when you ran away and what happened after?"

Blushing Severus nodded. "I never even thought of running away again."

Smiling Arthur nodded. "It's not easy being a parent; I know. You have to back up those boundaries you set and not back down. If you don't it will confuse him."

"Alright, I'll talk with him in the morning."

Albus patted Severus on the shoulder. "I'll stay if you want me too."

Severus shook his head. "No, it's ok; we'll be fine."

The older man sensed that Severus wanted to talk with Arthur in private about something so with one final squeeze of Severus shoulder; he removed his hand from Severus's shoulder. "I should head back to the school then. You know where I am if you need me."

Severus nodded and watched as Albus left the room. As soon as the man left he turned and looked over at Don who was taking care of his son.

"I can wait Severus, go look after your son."

Arthur smiled as Severus did just that. He got up and walked over to the Healer and asked him how Harry was doing.

The Healer just smiled at him and handed him a fresh pair of pajamas. "He is fine now Severus, why don't you get him into some clean clothes while I go thank Arthur properly for bringing Harry back safe."

"Thank you Don."

Don just smiled. "It's fine, go see with your own eyes that Harry is alright."

Severus nodded and turned to look at his son. A sad smile graced his face as he set the pajama's down on the bed. He then gently began to redress his son in the new clothes Don had given him. He knew it was silly, but it really did help that he could see for himself that Harry was unhurt.

When he was finished dressing the boy, he sat down on the chair placed next to Harry's bed and started to stoke back Harry's hair. He looked so small when he was sleeping. Then gently he removed his hand and leaned forward to place a tender kiss to the boy's forehead.

"Sleep well child."

Severus then got up and walked back over to sit in the rocking chair. Both Don and Arthur were smiling at him making him raise an eyebrow. They were up to something, and he had a feeling; he wasn't going to like it.

"Severus, I have a question for you." Don looked over at him with a twinkle in his eye and that same damn mischievous smile.

"Yes...?"

"We were thinking that maybe Harry would enjoy a visit from Draco tomorrow. It would be good for both of them. Maybe they can talk about things they are reluctant to talk to us about. Such as why Harry is so afraid that he is putting you in danger and why Draco won't talk with anyone about his past."

Severus's head shot up and looked over at Arthur. "He's not talking?"

Arthur gave a sad smile and shook his head. "He was, before the children came home, but as soon as they arrived, he clammed up. I'm assuming he is frightened that he will appear weak, but I don't know for sure until he says something. I was actually going to come over tomorrow and ask Harry to speak with him to see whether he could convince him it is ok, but then Harry ran away tonight."

Severus smiled gently and looked over at his son on the bed. "I think that is a good idea, maybe after his afternoon nap? That way, he can sleep off his stinging bottom and won't be embarrassed in front of Draco. Although, that still doesn't explain why you are looking at me like that old coot..."

Don looked at him with a grin that widened even larger and Arthur just shook his head in mirth.

Worriedly Severus looked between the two grinning fools. "What is it you two are planning?"

Arthur looked up at Severus and smiled. "Molly and I were going to have a somewhat large Christmas party, and I know Harry would love to come. The only thing is though, Albus was going to come and dress up as Father Christmas for the kids, but he can't make it. I would ask someone else, but I don't think Draco, or Harry would be comfortable sitting on anyone else's lap."

Severus rose an eyebrow and deadpanned, "you want me, the bat of the dungeon to play Santa Claus?"

"We will put glamors on you, only Draco and Harry will know it is you. Come on Severus, think of how much fun the kids will have. They can only be children once."

Severus sighed in defeat. How could he say no when it came to Harry's happiness? "First you want me to go to a Christmas party, and then you want me to dress up as Father Christmas. Is there anything else you want of me?"

Don rose an eyebrow. "Well, you could find a nice woman and go on a date sometime."

Grimacing Severus shook his head. "Forgot I said anything. I'm not looking for anymore pain."

A sad smiling formed on Arthur's face. "Severus, you can't look at it that way. There is someone out there for you, you just have to find them. Don't ever give up on love."

Severus blushed and looked down trying to avoid the way the conversation was going. "We should all get some sleep. It's been a long night."

Don and Arthur smiled at his deflection, but decided that the man was right. It had been a long night, and tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Arthur got up and smiled at the two. "I will floo call you after lunch Severus and see whether it is alright to come by with Draco?"

Severus nodded. "Tell Draco I have something for him; his mother sent something in the mail to me for him."

The man nodded. "I will. Do as Minerva says and try to get at least a little sleep tonight, alright?"

Again, Severus nodded. "I will."

With a final smile, Arthur left the room, and walked down to the floo to go back home. Molly, he was sure was running up the wall with worry.

Back in Harry's room Don had come around and offered a hand to Severus to help him up. His next task was to see that Severus _did_ get some sleep and didn't sit there and worry all night.

"Come on Severus, let's get you to bed."

The man took Don's hand and allowed the Healer to help him up without any protest. He really must be tired.

As Don made his way to the door though, he noticed Severus taking his time following him. Smiling he turned to look at the man. "I'll see you in your room in a bit?"

Severus turned to look at Don and nodded. "Just a moment."

Still smiling Don left the room to go and prepare a cup of tea for himself. He needed a strong cup after tonight, and it would give Severus a chance to say goodnight to Harry and to change into fresh clothes himself.

Meanwhile, Severus walked up to Harry's bed. Carefully, he made sure the boy was tucked in securely and then took the extra blanket he had placed on the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around Harry, just in case he became cold. Then, he watched with an amused smile as a certain kitten jumped on the bed and made her way to Harry's chest. When she reached her destination, she turned three times and then flopped down in a furry heap.

Smiling Severus reached out and pat the small kitten on the head. "Your not letting him go anywhere, are you? Good, you can be my watch kitten."

Letting out a soft meow the kitten started to purr. She had not liked that her human had run away like that at all and was kind of mad at him. The least she could do was lay on top of him and make sure he stayed here until she could give him a piece of her mind.

Lifting his hand from caressing the kitten's soft fur Severus moved back up to Harry's head and bent over to place another tender kiss to Harry's forehead. He came so close to losing his child, and he just wanted to make sure that Harry was still here with him.

"Don't ever scare me like that again child."

Severus sighed and straightened back up. With one last look at Harry, he made his way back to his room knowing that he had to go get dressed before Don came back in here to fetch him. He knew the man wouldn't hesitate to dress him himself if that was what it took to get him into bed and asleep.

Closing the door gently behind him Severus made his way to his room. When he walked in he quickly got into a fresh set of his pajamas and then sat down on his bed. Not moments after he sat down, Don came in with a tray with two cups of tea on it.

Sitting down next to Severus, Don gave him his cup and made a gesture for him to drink it up. "There is a slight calming drought in it. It will help you calm before I help you sleep."

Severus gave a small nod before downing the warm liquid. He then, with a sigh, put the cup back on the tray and moved the sheets out of the way so that he could lie in the bed.

With the sheets back, Don stood up, and watched as Severus got into his bed. Smiling he placed the tray down on the dresser and then came over to the man now resting up against the pillows.

"Lay back Severus and close your eyes. "

With a slight nod Severus did as the Healer instructed and sighed when he felt Don's warm hand on his forehead sending him magic that would help him sleep peacefully.

Moment's later Severus was in a deep sleep, and Don removed his hand from his forehead. Smiling Don pulled the sheets up a little higher and made sure he was warm. If Severus was going to fuss over Harry, then he was going to fuss over Severus.

Gently, Don brushed back Severus's hair and whispered his quiet goodnight. Still with a small smile Don turned and picked the tray back up and made his way to the door quietly closing it behind him.

Before moving back downstairs to take care of his dishes, Don peaked in Harry's room and was pleased to see the boy wrapped up in every blanket he owned. He had told Severus that Harry was fine, but in reality, Harry had been hurt when he had come back home.

He had been on the brink of being hypothermic and if Arthur had not caught him when he did Harry could have lost some toes of fingers. His shoulder had also been dislocated, presumably when he had tried to escape Severus. It looked as though he had hit it hard on something.

With that thought Don, quietly closed Harry's door again and started to head downstairs. He had to go home and get some rest himself after all.

Walking down the stairs and into the kitchen, he smiled when Maya popped in and took the tray from his hand.

"Maya let Master Don prepare the tea, but Master Don must let Maya wash the dishes. Master Don looks like he needs to sleep."

Don smiled and gave a small nod. "Thank you Maya. Make sure those two behave themselves while I'm gone, will you?"

Maya flashed the Healer a large grin and nodded while jumping from foot to foot. "At your service, Maya will make sure they behave!"

"Thank you."

Don nodded and watched as the elf popped away. Shaking his head fondly Don took her advice and went to the floo to go home. He must be tired if Maya said he needed sleep.


	32. All That Matters

**Hello everyone! Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! And a big thank you to my amazing beta Lady DestinyHope!**

**starangel2106 - Sorry about that! I didn't know about the boycott, only until you said that. oops!**

**lirio de amor - Sorry to taunt you and make you wait!**

**bkerrmom1 - I have a sneaking suspicion Arthur is going to make more appearances in this story… :)**

**SullenFaythe - Time to steal your sisters phone again, haha :)**

**Girlsrule2424 - It depends what kind of app I'm writing. For an iphone/android app I just do simple jquery/jquery mobile for the navigation and effects and then html/css. Then I just put my code in Adobe's phonegap and it adds the native controls to make it easier for the user, so they don't have to learn how to work it.**

**I have also recently been digging into a bit of java, but from my actionscript/javascript riddled brain it's so backwards, but it's fun for creating desktop apps.**

**As for programs, check out Espesso, it has great code hints and it also doesn't do that weird auto complete and mess up your code! **

**Feel free to message me if you have any questions! :) I love geeking out and talking code! haha :)**

* * *

><p>Around eight the next morning Severus sat on the edge of Harry's bed. Looking down at the boy a small smile graced his face. He had been so worried and scared last night, but Harry was home now. He was safe, and that was all that mattered.<p>

Severus sighed; he was going to have to do something about Harry's habit of rushing into danger though. He didn't think his heart could take it again if Harry ran away like that. Sighing he tenderly laid a hand on Harry's shoulder to wake him gently.

"Good morning Harry."

Harry rolled over and smiled at Severus, but then remembered everything that happened the night before and buried his head in his pillows. He was both embarrassed, but also slightly worried how his Daddy would treat him. From his conversation with Arthur last night he had a suspicion that he was going to get a spanking because he had put himself in danger, and even though he was not afraid like one of his Uncle's beatings, he was not looking forward to it.

Gently, Severus started to rub Harry's shoulder in a soothing manor. He knew perfectly well what was wrong from his brief, but informative conversation last night, but knew he had to ask anyway. "What's wrong child?"

Harry closed his eyes and shook his head.

Sighing Severus reached down and scooped Harry and his blankets up into his arms and then brought him over to the rocking chair to see if the change of location would help Harry feel more at ease. This was his favorite spot in the whole house after all. Making sure Harry was covered and well wrapped by the blankets Severus laid the boy's head on his shoulder and looked down at the small face asking him his question again.

"What's wrong Harry?"

Unsure of himself Harry looked down and started to play with the buttons on his pajama shirt. "Are...are you mad at me?"

Severus gently brushed back Harry's hair and smiled at him. "No Harry, I'm not _mad_ at you. I am concerned why you ran away, and a little hurt that you don't trust me to keep you safe."

Harry shook his head violently. "That's not it! I just don't want to lose you! I know you would do anything to keep me safe, but that's just it! I didn't want you to die like my parents! I don't want to be alone anymore! I just can't be alone anyone! I just can't..."

The boy buried his face in Severus's robes, and Severus felt the boy start to sob. Gently, Severus wrapped his arms around the boy and held him close. Knowing that just now Harry needed to be held close and nothing else. Words would not reach him in this state.

When Harry calmed Severus tenderly pried Harry's face from his shoulder and looked down at him gently. Wiping away the few tears that had fallen Severus gave the boy a smile. "Harry, listen to me when I say this. You will never be able to lose me, even if you wanted to. I will always be here for you no matter what. Do you understand that?"

Slowly Harry gave a small nod. "If they're after me...what if they hurt you by accident?"

Severus shook his head. "They won't Harry, because I will kick their butts!"

Harry looked down and let out a small giggle at Severus's proclamation. It was not just what he said, but it was how he said it with such determination that the boy could just imagine his Daddy physically kicking Voldemort in the behind.

Glad to see a smile on his son's face Severus smiled, but knew he had to tread in deeper waters before he would see his son truly happy again.

"Harry, I need you to promise me something."

The boy looked up at him and donned his same serious expression making Severus hate himself for stopping that smile.

"You need to promise me not to run away again. You really scared me. It was really dangerous running away like that. Not only are there wild animals in those woods, but there are Death Eaters out there looking for you. What if one of them found you out there with no one to protect you?"

Harry turned his head and buried his face in the man's shoulder and asked the one question he knew he didn't want to hear the answer to, but knew that once it was all over that guilty feeling in his chest would fade. "Are...are you going to punish me?"

Severus placed a gentle hand on the back of Harry's head. He hated being a tough parent; he really wished he could just be the fun parent he had been in the snow yesterday. Laughing and giggling with Harry, but he knew that was just not possible. Every child needs balance and discipline in their life.

"Yes Harry, you remember my rules. Can you tell me what happens when you put your life in danger?"

Miserably, but also a slightly relieved, Harry nodded. Most of the fear behind his question had not been the confirmation that he would be punished, but he had feared he would have been pushed away or worse, ignored like he had been in the past with other adults. "I get a spanking."

"And why is that Harry?" He had found over the last few months that him lecturing Harry wasn't enough, but if Harry walked through logically why he was being punished and why the consequences were what they were, then Harry both understood, and accepted them more. It also, made it clear that Harry would not be swept under the rug and forgotten; he would be cared for even if that meant correcting his mistakes.

"Because you love me and don't want me to get hurt."

Severus gave a small nod. "That is true Harry, but why a spanking?"

Harry leaned his head back down on Severus's shoulder. "Because my life is a serious matter and putting, it at risk needs a more serious consequence."

Gently, Severus stroked back Harry's hair and nodded. "That's right Harry. Let's not talk about this right now though. Why don't we have some breakfast, and then we'll talk about this afterward?"

Harry looked down. "Can't...can't we do this now? I don't think I can eat with it hanging over my head...I'll be too nervous."

Looking down, concerned, at his child, Severus kept a gentle hand on his messy hair stroking it back. "Are you sure Harry? Why don't we continue this conversation before your nap so you can sleep off the aftereffects?"

Looking up at Severus with pleading eyes Harry shook his head. "Please?"

Sighing Severus gave a small nod. He remembered back to when he had been sentenced the same fate and felt much the same way. The wait was always worse than the punishment, because then you could imagine it to be so much worse than it really was. "Alright Harry. Do you have to use the bathroom?"

Nervously Harry gave a small nod so Severus gently untangled him from his bed sheets and helped him to stand. "I'll be here when you get back. Remember to wash your hands."

Harry nodded and padded softly to the bathroom. As he watched Harry disappear through the door Severus sighed again, but then picked the bed-clothes up and walked over to the boy's bed. Quickly, he righted the bed so it looked like it had never been slept in and then sat down on the edge to wait for Harry.

A few moments later Harry quietly came back into the room and walked to Severus with his head down. Reaching his Daddy, Harry looked up at him and when he saw the kind look, he looked back down at his feet.

"Harry..." Severus reached out to gently pull the boy into a hug wrapping his arms gently around the boy's back. "If I had lost you last night, I don't know what I would have done. You have to trust me when you have these feelings and come to me. You need to talk with us before you jump into action. I don't like doing this, but I need you to know that your actions have consequences behind them."

Harry pulled back from the hug and had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry Daddy...I didn't even think about worrying you...I just didn't want you to get hurt. I...I guess I hurt you anyway..."

Severus gently reached out and wiped the tears from Harry's face. "That's alright Harry. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. I'm just happy you're home and safe that is all that matters to me."

Harry nodded and reached forward to hug his Daddy again. He had this squishy feeling in his gut that felt an awful lot like guilt, and he wanted to get rid of that as soon as possible. He knew that the spanking would help that feeling go away, one reason he wanted to get this over with. Not that he wanted the spanking, but he knew that as soon as it was over that was it. It was over, and he was forgiven.

After a few minutes, Severus's pulled Harry back from the hug and looked at him seriously. "Are you sure you want to do this now Harry?"

Harry looked down at his feet and nodded. Sighing Severus gently guided Harry over to his left side, but before he helped him over his lap, he looked him in the eyes again and brushed back his hair one more time.

He knew Harry was supposed to dread this punishment, after all what good would a punishment be if the child didn't dread it, but he was rather dreading it too. He hated making his son cry.

"If you ever think of running away again, I want you to come to Don or I first, alright?"

When Severus saw the small nod, he realized he couldn't put this off any longer and gently began to guide the boy over his lap. When Harry was comfortably laid over his lap Severus kindly placed a hand on his back and began to rub soothing circles to try to calm him a bit because as soon as Harry had hit the waiting knees he had silently started to sob.

After a few minutes, Severus felt the boy begin to calm a bit, so the man gently began to position the boy a bit better on his knees and made sure that both Harry's chest and feet were comfortably on the bed. "Are you ok Harry?"

Seeing the boy give a small nod, Severus moved his hand to Harry's lower back to steady the boy and then placed his other on the boy's waiting bum. Gently he gave Harry's bottom a few pats and then rose his hand to give his first smack.

Harry inhaled sharply at the sting, but didn't start actually crying until the third one. From then on, Severus quickly peppered Harry's bottom with twelve more sharp stinging smacks trying to get it over with as soon as possible, especially when Harry began to sob loudly.

When it was all over Severus again gently rested his hand back on Harry's bottom and with his other hand softly started to rub circles into his back. "It's alright Harry, shhhh it's all over."

The two sat that way until Harry's cries calmed down to the point where Severus could gently scoop him up into his arms without making the boy's head spin. Tenderly the man held Harry so that his sore bottom rested where nothing would touch it, and the boy could wrap his arms around his neck and as gently as he could he began to rub Harry's back and whisper soothing words into his ear.

"Everything is forgiven and forgotten now, just promise me never to make me do that again."

Harry nodded against his Daddy's shoulder as his cries became soft sobs and then just hiccups. "M'sorry Daddy."

Severus smiled down at the boy and began to wipe away the tears and remnants of tears with a handkerchief he had conjured up. "It's alright Harry; everything is forgiven. How are you feeling?"

Harry looked down and shrugged his shoulder a little awkwardly as his hands were still wrapped firmly around Severus's neck. "My bottom is sore."

The man smiled gently at the boy. "As it should be." He then gently placed a soft hand over Harry's heart. "And how about in here?"

The boy leaned his head tiredly against hid Daddy's shoulder. "I...I don't feel as guilty..."

Severus nodded and removed his hand from Harry's chest so that he could hug Harry a little closer. He had also learned that Harry had a very strong guilt complex and often felt guilty even though he had nothing to feel guilty about, or he had already been punished for his misdeed. "Do you still feel a little guilty then?"

Harry nodded his head a bit. "I made you worry so much."

"Yes, you did Harry, but all that is over now. Parents are supposed to worry about their children when they are in trouble."

The boy looked down. "Yeah, but I still feel guilty."

Severus sighed and wondered why _his_ child had to have such a conscious and didn't try to wiggle away from punishment whenever the opportunity was given like any normal child. He vowed he would jump with joy the moment Harry tried to get out of either doing something or out of trouble. "What would make you feel better Harry?"

"Standing in the corner?"

Severus let out a small smile. "I'll tell you what Harry. I'm not quite ready to let you go yet, but I don't want you to feel guilty anymore so we'll compromise. I'll stand in the corner with you in my arms. How does that sound?"

Harry nodded against Severus's shoulder. "Ok."

So Severus stood up casting a wordless, wandless weight altering spell so that Harry would be easier to carry and hold. He then adjusted Harry in his arms so that he was resting comfortably on his hip, and the boy could still have his arms wrapped around his neck.

"Are you comfortable Harry?"

Harry gave a small nod, but Severus noticed the slight wince when Severus's hand came beneath his bum to support him. Moving his hand so that it rested elsewhere Severus smiled down at the boy.

"Better?"

Again, Harry gave the same small nod.

"Alright then, let's go do our corner time."

With that Severus walked over to the corner near the window and faced the wall.

"We'll wait here for ten minutes and think about what we both could have done differently last night, and then we'll tell each other what we will do next time. Alright?"

Facing the corner and staring intently at the painted wall Harry nodded. Smiling Severus bent his head slightly and placed a gentle kiss to Harry's forehead.

"You are such a wonderful child, Harry."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later Don walked into the open door room and spotted the two in the corner. Smiling he just walked over to the bed and sat in the chair that was always next to it. Watching the two with a smile he decided to wait for the two to come out of the corner. He didn't want to disturb them; they seemed so deep in thought especially Severus who was looking down at his son thoughtfully. Harry looked like he was almost in tears from the way his back was heaving and Severus's was rubbing it gently.<p>

A few minutes more Severus turned around and smiled when he saw Don sitting in the chair next to the bed. Looking down at Harry who had his face buried in his robes, he whispered that they had a guest. Harry turned his head and looked at Don with a small smile and a teary face.

Coming over Severus sat on the bed and situated Harry into a more comfortable position on his lap. He then looked over at Don meaningfully. "We were just thinking of what both of us could have done better last night. Do you want to go first Harry or shall I?"

Harry shrugged his shoulder so Severus decided that it might be best for him to start. "Ok Harry, I'll start then. I should have come in and made sure you were feeling alright about everything before you went to bed and reassured you that I want you no matter what. I'm sorry I didn't."

Harry shook his head. "It's not your fault...how were you supposed to know? I should have said something; I should have come to you. I let my Gryffindor traits get in the way and jumped into action when I should have come to you instead of running."

Severus held Harry tight to his chest. "Will you promise to come to me next time?"

Harry nodded against his shoulder. "I'll try."

"How are you feeling now Harry? Still guilty?"

Harry shook his head, but heard his stomach growl a little. "I am a little hungry though."

Severus and Don shared a smile and then Severus pulled Harry back from his chest a bit so that he could look at him. "Why don't you get ready for the day then and Don and I will wait for you downstairs?"

Harry gave another nod, but held on to Severus making the man smile. "You know Harry; you have to let go to take a shower."

The boy pulled back blushing. "Sorry."

Severus reached forward and placed a gentle hand on the boy's cheek. "No more apologizing alright? Everything is ok."

Harry gave a small nod and moved to get up. As he did so Severus and Don stood to give Harry some privacy. Before the two men left, Severus turned to look at Harry. "We'll meet you in the kitchen, ok?"

The boy nodded again and started to gather some clothes that he would wear that day. Severus smiled seeing that his child was alright and closed the door behind them.

Once in the kitchen Don sat down in a chair and watched amused as Severus asked Maya to make Harry's favorite breakfast. When she popped away and started to make the meal, Don placed a gentle hand on Severus's.

"So Severus, may I ask why you were standing in the corner with Harry?"

Severus blushed. "He said he still felt guilty after his spanking, but I didn't want to be too harsh and make him stand there without a little comfort. I also wasn't really ready to let him go." He confessed.

Don smiled and squeezed his hand gently. "You are a good father Severus. Please don't doubt that."

Severus smiled wearily. "You know, I never thought I would hear the word 'father' and Severus in the same sentence, but I also never never thought I would love someone as much as I love Harry."

Smiling Don looked behind Severus at the boy in the doorway who was nervously shuffling his feet. Obviously, he had heard what Severus had just declared.

"Come in Harry. Maya is almost finished with breakfast."

Severus turned and blushed when he saw the boy, but as Harry came near the man scooped Harry up into his arms and set him on his lap. "You hear that you scamp, you made the bat of the dungeon as soft as a teddy bear and I don't regret it one bit."

Harry smiled as Severus held him close. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Now go take your seat, I put a cushioning charm on your chair so you won't be too uncomfortable."

Harry nodded and moved to sit down in his chair. Sitting down when his bottom first hit the chair he winced just a little, but then was thankful for the cushioning charm his Daddy had placed on it. He knew it was much better than if it was just the hard wood on his still tender bum.

The next moment Maya came over with their breakfast and set the three plates on the table, but before she left she turned to Harry with her hands on her hips.

"Maya knows that your Daddy already talked with you this morning, but yous can't run away like that again! Yous gave Maya a heart attack, but Maya will keep a better eye on you! Yous be going nowhere without me knowing it!"

With that the house elf popped away with a snap of the finger and left a stunned Harry behind. Severus just smiled and shook his head a Harry's stunned expression.

"Harry."

Harry looked over at Severus with his mouth still open wide. "I should have warned you that Maya was going to scold you. She has grown very fond you and was very distraught when you disappeared last night. She will forgive you though by tonight and will be serving you ice cream. Trust me, she did the same when I ran away."

Harry closed his mouth and nodded, but then looked from the steaming blueberry pancakes on his plate up to Severus. "You ran away?"

Severus smiled and nodded. "When I was fifteen, I had a fight with Albus. I was upset and did the only thing I knew how to do; I ran. When he found me, Maya gave me the very same lecture and I received the same from Albus that you did from me."

"You were spanked!"

Severus blushed. "I was, but don't tell any of your friends that, and I won't tell them you were spanked. Alright?"

Harry blushed as well and nodded enthusiastically. He certainly didn't want his Daddy telling his friends that he was spanked and why. I mean they knew spanking was one of his punishments, but it was still embarrassing.

The boy then looked back down at his breakfast and picked up his fork. As soon as he did he dipped in his food and began to eat with a vengeance. He was really hungry and supposed it had to do with that potion; he saw his Daddy slip in his morning milk.

While Harry was eating excitedly, Don watched amused and hoped that the rest of the day would go smoothly. Sleepily Severus had contacted him through the floo and said that he could handle everything today, but he had come anyway because he wanted to make sure everybody was alright.

Severus looked over at Don and gave a small nod. He hadn't told Harry what would be happening for the rest of the day so he thought now might be better than a surprise later when Draco came walking in the room.

"Harry, I wanted to let you know that Draco is coming by later this afternoon. Is that alright? Arthur asked if you could talk with him, and I think it would be good for both of you."

Harry gave a small nod. He had actually wanted to see Draco again after their last interaction.

"So is that alright Harry?"

Again, Harry gave a small nod. "Can I show him around the house and my room?"

Severus smiled and nodded. "You can, but remember not to open any door that is closed, and the books on the top shelves in the library are off limits."

Harry put his fork down finishing his meal and nodded. "Can I go get ready then? I want to neaten my room up a bit."

Harry got out of his chair and nodded pushing it back under the table. Leaving the room, Harry launched himself into Severus's arms hugging him tightly. "You ok Harry?"

The boy gave another nod. "I love you Daddy."

Severus smiled and patted the boy on the back. "I love you too Harry."

Harry pulled back and smiled at the man, but then collapsed back into his Daddy's arms sighing. Obviously, he needed more comfort. Wrapping his arms around Harry again Severus gently hugged him and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

"Alright Harry, go get your room cleaned up. Call if you need anything."

Harry pulled back and nodded. He then shyly smiled at Don and left the room. As he left, Severus turned to the smiling Healer and rolled his eyes.

"What now Don?"

"I just cherish every moment; I get to see you and Harry together. He really does love you, so much so that he put himself in danger to protect you. Or at least that's what was going through his head."

Severus shook his head. "I just wish he didn't put himself in danger so often."

Don smiled and patted Severus on the shoulder. "I think all parents wish that."

Severus sighed getting up from the table and bringing his dishes to the sink. He would give Maya a break and finish them this morning.

Seeing what the man was preparing to do Don picked up his dishes and brought them to the sink and prepared to dry the clean dishes.

"I know you punished Harry this morning, and that he is alright, but how are you feeling? I know punishing children also takes its toll on the parent as well."

Stilling on the dish he was washing, but then continued washing, and gave a small nod. "I'm alright. "

Don reached around and placed a gentle hand on Severus's back. "If you need to talk Severus, I am here."

The Healer was going to push the man earlier about his feelings, but he could now see that now was not the time. Today was going to be a long day for Harry, and he knew Severus just wanted to focus on his boy and nothing else at the moment and for now that was fine with him, he would speak with Severus later tonight.

* * *

><p>Back upstairs in Harry's room the boy was greeted by a very irate kitten who lunged for him and bit his shin.<p>

"Hey Arwen! What was that for?"

"You ran away last night! What were you thinking you idiot human?"

Harry looked down ashamed. "I'm sorry Arwen; I worried you."

"You better be! Your Daddy was beyond upset with worry and so was I! I woke up to him searching all over your room for you, throwing things everywhere, and screaming your name!"

Harry bent down and picked the small kitten up and brought her to his bed to sit down. "I'm sorry Arwen; I really am. I won't do that again."

The kitten settled down in Harry's lap. "You better be telling the truth. If you don't you will have more to worry about, then a small love bite. I will hunt you own like a rat and drag you back home by your toes with my teeth. Understand?"

Petting the kitten gently in that special spot that would put her to sleep Harry began apologizing. "I understand Arwen. I'm sorry for scaring you like that."

Sleepily Arwen let out a small meow and closed her eyes. She hated it when her master used her secret spot under her chin to put her to sleep, she just couldn't help it; it was just so calming.

Harry smiled as his kitten drifted off to sleep. He knew he had deserved the scolding, but he had already been scolded by his Daddy and Maya, and he assumed Don was going to come in here and do the same; he just wanted a little peace.

Gently, he picked the kitten up and brought her over to the little cat bed they had gotten in town. She actually picked it out herself at the pet store. Smiling Harry remembered the way she had hoped on every bed to try them out before she had settled on this teal faux-fur bed with the cat toys hanging from the ceiling. Leave it to her to pick the most extravagant bed in the store.

Shaking the memory from his head Harry smiled as he settled the kitten on the soft cushions and pulled the blanket over her. Yes, it had a blanket.

Petting the kitten softly on the head Harry then stood up and looked around his room taking in what he had to pick up. Sighing he brushed his hands against his pants and set to work picking up some of the dirty clothing that had gotten piled up in the corner of the room. Then putting them in the clothes hamper Harry went to his dresser and started to tidy up what he had messed up last night in his rush.

Standing in the doorway Don watched him for a few moments, but then came over and placed a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "Need some help here Harry?"

Harry looked up at the Healer and shook his head. "No, it's ok."

"Alright Harry, I'll go sit on your bed then and let me know when you're done, or you need any help."

Harry gave a small nod and watched as Don sat on the bed behind him. In just a few minutes, Harry was happy with how his dresser looked and went to gently sit down on the bed next to Don.

"How are you feeling Harry?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "My bottom's still a little sore."

Don smiled. "Other than that Harry, do you feel sad?"

Harry shook his head. "No...I guess I am a bit nervous about seeing Draco again." He then looked up at the Healer with curiosity. "How is Draco doing? Is Ron still being a prat?"

Again, Don smiled at the boy. "It's hard moving into a new family, but I believe he is doing just fine. You can ask him more when you see him later. Ok?"

"Ok, but if Ron is still being a prat, I can write to Hermione. She's the only one who can talk sense into him."

Still smiling Don ruffled the boy's hair. Harry truly was an amazing boy, being able to put aside such a rivalry in such a short amount of time. "And you can make the same offer to Draco later. Now, why don't we move to the playroom, and we can work on your painting you are going to give your Daddy for his birthday?"

Harry smiled and jumped up almost running to the playroom. For a few weeks now Don had started art therapy for Harry, and he had to admit it was one of the best ideas to help Harry. Severus had actually recommended it when he had mentioned that Harry had a remarkable talent and loved it, and it helped him so much.

Ever since Don sat down for an hour a day and watched as Harry painted or drew beautiful pictures asking him questions about what the scene was or what was going to happen, kind of making them into stories. It had also been helping Harry open up some more, allowing him to tell his own story through his drawings and not having to speak them.

For the last week or so though Harry had been hard at work, working on an oil painting for Severus's birthday. It was based on a photo Severus had given him of Lily and him sitting beneath a tree in their Hogwarts days. And this was no ordinary painting either; Don had gone out and purchased magical oil paint so that when the painting was finished the figures would move and somewhat act as they would in real life. He knew Severus was going to love it.

As Don entered the playroom, he saw Harry taking the painting and paints out of their hiding place. Smiling he went over and helped the boy set up the canvas on the easel and then sat down and watched as Harry meticulously painted.

An hour later Harry was ready to put it up for the day and started to take down his things and put them back in his hiding spot. He was also getting kind of hungry and knew Severus would have lunch waiting for them downstairs.

When everything was all put away, Harry looked up at the Healer who smiled at him. "Ready for some food?"

Harry nodded, but then ran up and hugged the Healer. "I really am sorry about last night."

Don enfolded Harry in a hug and gently held him close. "I know Harry and I am so glad that you are back with us safe and sound."

The boy nodded against Don's chest, and Don started to rub soothing circles on his back. "What's wrong Harry?"

Shaking his head, Harry buried his face even deeper in Don's robes. The Healer sighed and gently guided Harry over to the couch so that they could sit down. He had known that there was something bothering Harry, but he wanted Harry to come to him this time and not have to pry it out of him. He had also thought that Harry had deserved some kind of quiet time this morning and some activity to relax him. It was obvious that Harry had been tense and worried before starting in on his painting and was now even his shoulders were visibly relaxed.

Gently, Don guided Harry so that he was sitting next to him and was able to still have his face in Don's soft robes.

"Will Daddy forgive me for last night?"

Don gently pried Harry away from his chest so that he could look him straight in the eye. "Harry, listen to me. Your Daddy has already forgiven you. He could never stay mad at you, and frankly, I think he was more frightened that he was going to lose you than angry."

Tears began to well in Harry's eyes, and he threw himself at Don again. Sighing Don wrapped his arms gently around the boy and let him cry all he wanted.

"It's alright Harry. Try to calm down now. Everything is fine."

It took many more minutes before Harry's tears started to dry, and he calmed down. When he did calm, Don pulled Harry back again and dried the boy's tears with a handkerchief he had conjured up.

"Child, what did your Daddy say after your spanking?"

Harry looked down and blushed slightly. "He said it was all over, and that he forgave me."

"Do you not believe that?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I...I don't know. Adults can change their mind at any time. What if he decides that he is still mad at me? What if I made him mad at me again? Would he throw me out?"

With a tender hand Don began to gently run his fingers through Harry's hair in a soothing manor. "Have you ever known your Daddy to go back on his word?"

Harry shook his head. "No..."

"He is not a man to tell lies, and you know that. He loves you Harry, and he would never throw you out."

The boy looked up at the Healer with a bit of trepidation. Sighing Don stilled his hand a placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

"I know that it's going to take a long time before you believe us. Just know that we are here for you and will help you no matter what."

Harry's face softened a bit. He was just so confused. Even after all this time he still had conflicting feelings. His mind and his heart were constantly battling with one another. His mind, logically, knew that his Daddy would always be there for him and would never leave him, but his heart had been hurt so many times in the past it was so hard to tell it that it was different this time.

Smiling Don continued to run his fingers gently through Harry's hair. "I know what's going through your head Harry and don't worry, we do understand that your heart and mind don't want to agree with each other, and it's ok. It takes time. I promise you; your heart will heal."

Harry leaned his head against the Healer and nodded accepting the comfort Don was giving him.

Just then Severus gave the open door a gentle knock to ask permission to enter. Receiving a small nod from Don Severus came over and sat on the other side of Harry. Gently, he rested a hand on Harry's back.

"Hi Harry."

The boy hearing his Daddy's voice looked over at him and then launched himself into the man's chest. Surprised, but ready Severus wrapped his arms around his boy and looked down at the black messy mop of hair before him.

"Hey now, everything is alright Harry."

Severus looked over at Don concerned, but the Healer just shook his head. He would tell Severus later that it was just Harry's continued fears of abandonment and rejection, but now was not the time. He knew just how embarrassing and hurtful it was when people spoke about you as if you weren't there in the room.

Harry looked up at Severus and gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry."

"Harry, what did I say about apologizing? There is no need to apologize to me."

The boy gave a soft nod, and Severus decided that maybe this was the best time to change both the setting and subject. There was a time for serious subjects, and they had to address them when they came up, but too much of a serious conversation was not the right way to heal a child either. It would just make them depressed.

"Why don't we go have some lunch Harry. How does that sound?"

Harry, nodded and let Severus stand him up and wrap an arm around his shoulder.

"Then maybe when Draco comes over we can build snowmen in the front yard. I promise not to throw too many snowballs."

The boy looked up at the man and smiled. "Two against one, we'll win!"

Ruffling Harry's hair with a smile Severus gave the boy a mischievous smile. "But I have magic!"

"No fair!"

Severus just smiled and gave the boy a side long hug. "Not at all, but that's life."

And Severus couldn't think of a truer statement for Harry's life so far. His parents had died when he was just a year old, he was then abused by his relatives until he was twelve, and not to mention he had a dark lord after him. What a life, but he had promised Harry that his life would be different, as soon as he took him in, and he was going to make sure that happened.

* * *

><p>Down in the kitchen Maya placed her hands on her hips as she surveyed the lunch master Severus had made for the three of them. She shook her head at the man's extravagant display, but she knew it was how he worked off his worry.<p>

"Master does spoil that child."

Sighing Maya started to pack up the cookies and brownies Severus had baked while he was making lunch and the chocolate cake they would have later tonight. Just as the treats were packed away, Maya turned around and saw the culprit of all the sugary goodness standing in the doorway with his arm wrapped around his son's shoulder.

"Have a seat, Maya will serve."

Severus gave a small nod and sent a smile her way. "Thank you Maya for cleaning up after my mess."

"Yes, yes as always you are welcome Master Severus. Please just go sit down at the table."

Severus looked down at Harry and gave him a pat on the shoulder to comfort him. Severus had only seen Maya like this a few times and knew there must be something wrong if she wasn't over emotional over something. He didn't want to alarm the boy.

"Harry why don't you go wait in the living room for a moment?"

Concerned Harry looked up at Severus.

"It's alright Harry; I'll come get you in a minute."

Harry nodded and walked out the door with Don right behind him. Severus knew that Maya needed a bit of privacy. As soon as the two left Severus went over to the small house elf and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"What is it Maya?"

Looking down the elf let out a small sigh. "Maya had a doctor appointment after breakfast today. When I's coming home Maya heard the rumors that He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named is back and after young Master Harry. Master Severus, is they be telling the truth?"

Softly, Severus gave a small nod. "I don't want you to worry Maya. Albus and I are working hard to keep Harry as safe as possible."

"Is you sure Master Severus?"

"Positive Maya, but maybe you can help me with something. Even though we are taking every precaution to keep anyone from finding where Harry is, we want to make sure nothing happens like it did eleven years ago. This is where you come in. Could you make a room that magically connects to the back of Harry's closet? One that only the five of can enter?"

Maya gave a small nod. "Yous want a safe room."

"Yes Maya. As you know, I could do this on my own, but elf magic can only be broken by other elves, and mine could be broken by anyone."

The house elf smiled at Severus and started returning to her normal joyful self happy that she was given a job, and that she could help. "Yes Master Severus, Maya will get started right away!"

And with the elf popped away to create the room Severus had asked for. Severus smiled and watched the elf go with amusement. He had been wanting to ask the elf to help with that little task for a while now, but he had not wanted to worry the elf.

Sighing he realized he should have done it sooner, it would have stopped her from worrying in the first place about Harry having a safe place to go. There was nothing he could do about it now though. So Severus walked out into the living room and spotted Harry sitting on the couch next to Don.

The boy in question looked at him. "Is Maya ok?"

Severus smiled and gave a small nod. "She's fine Harry; I think she is actually making a surprise for you in your room right now."

"Really?"

"Yes Harry, now come on and let's go have some lunch."

Wrapping his arm back around Harry's shoulder, he began to gently lead Harry back in the kitchen with Don close behind.

When they arrived in the kitchen, Severus had Harry and Don sit down, and then he went over to the counter and grabbed the dishes he had prepared earlier. Gently, he sat the salad and pasta down on the table and then went back over to grab the plates and silverware.

"Here you go Harry, Don."

They both smiled at Severus as he took his own seat. Don started to dish up their plates, and then they all started to dig in.

When they were all finished with the meal Severus banished the dishes to the sink and held a hand out to help Harry up. He would wash the dishes when he came back down from putting Harry to bed for his nap. He knew Harry needed some rest; he saw those yawns the boy was trying to hide.

"Come on Harry. I think it's time for your nap."

"What about Draco? Isn't he coming? "

Severus smiled. "He is Harry, but not until after your nap."

"Ok"

"Come on then."

Severus started to guide Harry up the stairs and to his room. As soon as they reached Harry's room Severus beckoned him inside and gently shut the door behind the boy with the instructions to get in his pajamas.

While Harry was getting changed Severus walked over to his room and sat down on the bed tiredly. His elbows rested on his lap and his face when in his hands. It had already been a very busy day, and he knew with Draco coming by later it was just going to become busier.

After a few minutes, Severus felt a small hand on his shoulder, and he looked up. When he saw it was Harry, he smiled and brought the boy on his lap.

"Sorry Harry, I got caught up in my thoughts."

Frowning Harry leaned his head against Severus. "Are you alright Daddy?"

"Yes Child, I am fine. I was just thinking. Now, let's get you in bed so you can rest."

Severus picked Harry up into his arms and walked him across the hall to Harry's room. Opening the door he walked over to the bed and gently placed Harry beneath the waiting sheets. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at his child.

"I'll wake you up in an hour like normal, ok?"

Harry gave a small nod and let Severus take his glasses off his nose. "I love you Daddy."

Severus smiled. "I love you too. Now get some rest."

Harry nodded and closed his eyes while Severus bent over and placed a gentle kiss on Harry's forehead. The man then stood up, but was stopped by a small voice.

"Can…can you stay until I fall asleep?"

Severus smiled and sat back down taking the boy's hand in his own as he did, and gently he began to stroke the back of Harry's hand with his thumb. "Of course, I can Harry. Do you want me to go through your breathing exercises to help you fall asleep?"

Harry nodded his eyes still closed so Severus placed his free hand on Harry's chest, and they began to the exercises.

Just a few minutes later Harry was fast asleep and Severus removed his hand from the boy's chest, but was surprised to find Harry's hand still griping his vice like.

Gently, he pried Harry's hand off up his, but to compensate for the loss he called Arwen over and watched as she jumped up and curled herself in Harry's arms.


	33. Winter fun

**Hey, I'm sorry this took me so long to put up. I've been really busy lately working on various projects and pretty much going insane from all the code! haha**

**To be perfectly honest though, I don't think I will be on a regular updating schedule anytime soon. I'm going to try, but with all these projects going on I don't know how much free time I'm going to have.**

* * *

><p>Harry, Severus, and Don were downstairs sitting on the couch waiting for their guests to arrive when the floo before them turned green. Seconds later a red-haired man and a blond boy appeared gracefully.<p>

Smiling Severus stood from where he was sitting on the couch and walked over to the two. Nodding he shook the man's hand and then ruffled the blond haired boy who glared at him.

"Hi Arthur, Draco."

Severus then knelt down to Draco's height and smiled at the boy. "How are you doing Draco?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and looked over at Harry who was still sitting next to Don and muttered under his breath, "I would be better if you didn't mess my hair up."

Smiling Severus tried to gain his attention again by patting him on the shoulder. "Why don't you go and say hi to Harry? I think he wanted to show you his room. If you need anything just call for us, alright?"

Draco gave a small nod. "Thank you Uncle Sev."

Severus just smiled at the boy and stood back up. Sighing he watched the boy's back as he walked over to Harry and then looked at Arthur with a sad smile when they both left the room.

"He's been crying."

Arthur nodded. "It's been a rough morning for him. He just heard that his Father is in prison. Even with everything his Father put him through he is still loves his Father, and he cares about him."

Severus nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No he'll be alright; I think it was more shock than anything. Especially when he heard that he had tried to take Harry."

"How did he hear that?"

"Bill and Charlie are home for the holidays and he over heard them talking about it. I was going to tell him in private the mild version of what had happened, but they beat me to it unfortunately."

Severus just gave a small nod and led Arthur over to the couch to sit down next to the Healer.

"How is Ginny?"

Arthur smiled. "She is doing just fine. Actually, her and Draco have become thick as thieves lately."

"Really?"

Still smiling Arthur nodded. "It seems they feel somewhat connected, and I have to say he has really helped her self-confidence."

Severus smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"And how was this morning with Harry? I trust you had a chat with him?"

Nodding Severus smiled remembering this morning. "Yes, we did talk and it went well."

Arthur patted Severus on the shoulder and smiled. "I really am glad that you took in Harry. Let me know if I can ever help you."

Severus nodded and then cleared his throat. "About Christmas, I asked Albus what he had planned that night."

The man before Severus smiled mischievously. "You know, not only Slytherins can scheme."

"So now that I agreed there is no way out?"

Don laughed at the look on Severus's face, it was a mixture between astonishment and dread. "Admit it Severus you were out Slytherined by a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I assume Molly already has the costume ready?"

"You know she does and she even made me bring it along so you could try it on to see whether it fits."

Arthur pulled a shrunken red suite out of his pocket and handed it to Severus who looked down at it murderously. "And what would happen if it suddenly burst into flames?"

"It's flame proof and has every protection charm stitched into the seams, so there's nothing you can do to destroy it. Molly had a feeling you would want to make it disappear. Now go try it on so I can report to her on how it fits."

Severus scowled at the smiling man and Healer. "What if the boys come downstairs?"

Still smiling Don patted Severus on the shoulder. "Don't worry I have a charm on the stairs to let us know if they even come close. You can go change in the kitchen, and no one will bother you."

Knowing he had been out smarted Severus sighed and took the shrunken suit into the kitchen. All the while, he couldn't help wondering of how the hell he got himself into this.

Sighing he turned the hideously red Gryffindorish suit to its original size. Scowling Severus took his robes off and then put on the dreadful Santa suit. As soon as he did the seemingly thin suite grew to make him look fat and then his chin grew a long white beard.

Slowly, Severus resigned that he was Santa Clause and opened the door to the living room. "Happy now?"

Arthur got up and circled him making notes with a dicta quill. "It seems Molly will have to make some slight adjustments. How does it feel?"

"Like I'm fat."

Arthur patted Severus on the shoulder. "Cheer up Severus. It's just one night and think of how happy you will make Draco and Harry. You know neither of them were allowed to believe in Santa before this."

Severus sighed and nodded. "Fine, you made your point. Can I get out of this_ thing_ now?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, I have your measurements down."

Gratefully, Severus escaped back to the kitchen and took off the Santa outfit as fast as he could before throwing on his own robes.

* * *

><p>Upstairs, Harry was shyly showing Draco his room. The boy in question was following Harry closely behind him and was looking around in aw.<p>

"Does Uncle Sev let you do whatever you want?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I have to study really hard in the morning with Pam and then after lunch Don comes, and we exercise and then we normally garden or brew potions together before dinner."

The other boy nodded and looked around thoughtfully. "I have my own room too, but Ron doesn't seem to like that." Draco looked down at his feet as if he was embarrassed.

Harry placed a gentle hand on Draco's shoulder. "I'll be frank with you; Ron can be an ass. If he bothers you too much just send me a letter, and I'll have Hermione chew him out for you."

Draco looked up at Harry's confusion evident in his eyes. "You would do that...for me?"

"Hey, what are friends for? Ron will come around, normally it takes time...and maybe a few boxes of honeyduke's chocolate."

Smiling Draco let out a small laugh. A laugh that unbeknownst to Harry hadn't seen the light of day in a long time, and Draco felt great letting it out.

Again, Harry patted Draco on the shoulder. "Hey! Let me show you what I'm painting my Dad's for his birthday!"

As Harry dragged the other boy to his playroom, Draco looked at the back of Harry's head in wonder. He would never get used to his old arch nemesis calling his Uncle Dad. It was just so strange.

Once they reached the room Harry dragged the half finished painting out of it's hiding spot causing Draco to shake those thoughts from his mind. When he saw the painting, his mouth hung open so he could easily catch flies. "You drew that?"

Harry looked down at the painting and shrugged. "Yeah, it's not very good, but I think he'll like it. What do you think?"

"Are you blind? That is amazing!"

The boy holding the painting blushed a brilliant crimson. "No it's not, it's just doodling."

Draco looked at the boy before him incredibly. "Can you _see_ out of your glasses?"

Harry started to put away the painting still blushing. He didn't really like all the attention on something he had done. Sure he wanted to show it off, but he didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"Cut it out Draco."

Looking over at Harry and seeing the blush growing even more Draco saw that he had to back off a little. He wasn't used to looking out for other people's feelings, but one thing Ginny had taught him was how to tell when he had pushed a little too much. He was actually getting good at telling too, more often than not he could tell the signs and stop just before Ginny stated crying. He hated making her cry.

Putting a smile on his face Draco walked over to Harry and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "So where is this kitten you were telling me about? The one you are bonded with."

A smile graced Harry's face as he started to lead the other boy back to his bedroom where he knew Arwen to be. Going over to the cat bed Harry knelt down and began to softly stoked the sleepy kitten's head.

"Arewn."

"What do you want now, you stinky human."

"Stinky? Do I really stink?"

Harry paused petting the kitten and sniffed his armpits, but couldn't smell anything.

"Hey, I don't smell!"

Arwen opened an eye to look around. "Who's that behind you?"

"If you open both your eyes, I'll properly introduce you."

The kitten let out a small sigh, but did as she was asked. "You're bringing me a nice, juicy mouse later for waking me."

Harry smiled and just picked the kitten up in his arms.

"Draco this is Arwen, and Arwen this is Draco."

The boy in question took a step forward and placed a gentle hand on the kitten's head. "Hi there Arwen."

In response, Arwen let out a loud meow and looked at Harry. "Tell him to use less greece in his hair. It will make him look nicer."

Harry looked down at the kitten and then up to Draco. "I think she's been spending too much time around my Dad. She just told me to tell you not to use so much greece in your hair because it would make you look better."

Draco narrowed his eyes at the kitten. "I don't know whether to be insulted or laugh because that's exactly what Uncle Sev tells me every time I see him."

Harry did laugh and shook his head with amusement. "Come on Draco, do you want to go outside and build snowmen?"

Draco nodded and looked at the kitten. "Does she want to come too?"

Arwen buried her head in the crook of Harry's armpit. "It's too cold out there and you do smell."

Harry looked down at the kitten. "Your don't have to be mean about it. Come on, go back to bed."

Harry placed the kitten back down in her bed and watched as she snuggled up in the blanket. Shaking his head Harry turned to Draco. "Did you bring your outdoor clothes?"

"Yeah, Arthur has them downstairs shrunk in his pocket."

Harry nodded and started going to the door. As soon as they were both on their way downstairs Harry turned to Draco with sincerity on his face. "Do I really smell?"

Draco shook his head and laughed. "No, I think she just likes getting a rise out of you."

"Hmph" Harry crossed his arms. "Yeah, well she's good at it."

Draco slung an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Yeah, I know. It's just another trait she picked up from spending too much time around Uncle Sev. You'll learn to love it."

Harry just shook his head and let Draco lead him back downstairs.

When they reached the living room, they saw Severus giving all the other smiling adults a glare they'd not wish upon anyone.

"Is something wrong Dad?"

Severus turned and gave Harry and Draco a smile. "No son. Just a manipulative Gryffindor and Ravenclaw getting on my nerves. Is there anything you guys need?"

Harry looked down and blushed. "Ummm, well..." Harry looked up with a small smile, but still the same blush. "Could we go outside and play?"

Severus gave a small nod. "If it's alright with Arthur. You know where the end of the property is, and please don't cross it this time."

Harry blushed even more as he nodded. "Yes sir."

Arthur looked at the boys and smiled and then reached into his pocket and unshrunk Draco's things. "It's fine with me as long as you two play nice. We'll be out in a bit to check on you."

Draco accepted the clothing and nodded.

The two then raced as fast as they could to the front door and struggled to put on their gear as fast as they could. From the living room the three watched with amusement as they struggled and eventually Severus and Arthur couldn't help it any longer and went to help them. As funny as it was, they didn't want them strangling themselves.

When they were both all dressed, they ran out the door and made all the adults smile. This was good for the both of them; being able to be carefree and just be kids. The wonder of snow.

From the door, both Severus and Arthur watched the boy's throw snow at each other for a moment before closing the door and sitting back down on the couch to discuss more serious matters.

The red haired man looked at the Healer and then over at Severus. "How's the 'hunt'?"

Severus sighed and nodded. They had let Arthur in on what was going on a little while ago since Harry was close to his family, also Arthur cared for Harry as if he were is own. "Albus destroyed the last horcrux last week. We're now working on trying to figure out how to remove the one from Harry's forehead. Don has an idea...but I'm not too keen on it."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the Healer. "And what is that?"

Don sighed. "You're not going to like it either. The horcrux is a shard of Voldemort's soul and that part is embedded within Harry's forehead. I researched quite a bit and found an old spell that I believe will work. After the incantation all of Harry's magic will be removed from his body, and only the light magic will be put back into his body. It has it's risks, but if Albus helps perform the spell the risks will go down."

Arthur looked over at Severus who was looking down. "What if something goes wrong, and he loses all his magic? I would love him just the same, but I don't know how he would be able to take it."

Surprising both men Arthur nodded. "It does seem to be the most direct solution and although I don't like the idea any more than you do Severus, it seems that it is what must be done to keep Harry safe."

Severus looked down and nodded.

"Have you told Harry yet?"

Both the Healer and the man in black shook their heads, but Severus spoke up. "No, I was going to say something to him today, but with everything that happened yesterday...and now with Christmas coming up..."

Arthur reached over and patted Severus's hand. "You know you have to tell him. Sooner would be better. Give him a few days and then tell him. That way he will know, but it will far enough from Christmas that it won't damper his spirits."

The man let out a small sigh as he nodded feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. It was a lot easier to know what to do when another parent told you instead of struggling in the dark. "Alright."

"Come on let's go see what the boy's are up to. I'm sure all of us could do with getting hit with cold snow."

Severus shook his head in amusement. "I'm sure you would love to cool down that hair of yours."

Playfully Arthur swatted Severus's shoulder as they got up. "Come on, you're cool enough for the both of us."

As they left the room Don sat back in his chair and smiled. He was glad that Severus had found a friend in Arthur. It was good for him to have someone besides himself that Severus could talk to. Yes, he had Albus, but that was different. Albus was more like his father than anything else and would always carry that role. Arthur however could be the guiding friend that just pushed Severus in the right direction, but let him make his own decisions.

A few minutes later Don stood up and made his way to the front door. He wanted to see the boy's play as well and maybe the adults as well.

Smiling Don grabbed his coat and started out the door. As soon as he did he felt instead of saw the cold snow being hurled at him. When the assault stopped, Don just stood there for a moment, but then opened his eyes and saw the four boys practically rolling on the ground with laughter.

"You realize this means war. Right?"

Shaking his head Don took his wand out of his pocket and flicked it at the snow making it fly towards the ones who had just attacked him. Floods of snow covered all four of them, and now it was Dons turn to laugh in amusement.

The fight continued like that until all five of them were lying on the ground in piles of laughter creating snow angles. When they all got up and had calmed down, Don noticed the rosie cheeks of the youngest and decided that maybe it was time to go inside.

"Ready for some hot chocolate boys?"

Severus looked down at Harry and nodded when he saw the boy's rapid breath. "Come on Harry it's time to warm up, you too Draco. I can see those red ears."

Draco blushed and looked down so Arthur came up behind him and hugged his back to his chest. "I think, Severus and Don are right. Let's go in and you two can tell us all about playing in the snow before we came out and started this snow war."

Draco nodded and let Arthur gently guide him into the house behind Severus, Harry, and Don. Once inside they all took of their winter clothing and the adults cast a few warming charms on the boy's.

As Don said. "No use in catching a cold from being cold!"

When they were all warmed up, they all ventured to the loving room to sit in front of the fire. Each parent holding their son's close to their sides, but also allowing them to sit next to the other.

Don then disappeared in the kitchen and moments later came back with the promised chocolate for everyone and served it quickly. He then sat down in the chair next to the couch and smiled at the boy's.

"So tell me Harry, Draco, did you two have fun outside?"

Both nodded their heads and Draco shot a shy look at Harry and then smiled. "Harry, has quite an arm."

Severus ruffled Harry's hair. "He does now? Do you two do anything else, but throw snow at each other? I thought I saw a snowman out there."

The dark haired boy nodded. "We made him first and Draco even showed me a wandless spell his Mother showed him to bring him to life for a little bit. It was brilliant!"

Arthur winked at his new son. "I bet it was. What else did you two do?"

Draco blushed and looked down while Harry just smiled. "We talked for a little about stuff."

The red haired man gave a soft smile at his blushing son and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Oh yeah, what did you two talk about?"

This time it was Harry's turn to blush while Draco spoke. "About last night...and why you left suddenly." Draco then looked up at Arthur while leaning into his side finally accepting al the comfort that was being given to him. "I'm sorry for worrying you and Molly."

Arthur stroked back Draco's hair knowing exactly what the boy was talking about. "No need to apologize Draco. Molly and I just want what's best for you, and healing only begins when you talk about what happened."

Don nodded. "Arthur is right. If you talk through your problems with someone, they can help you figure things out and feel better. Now how's everyone doing with their chocolate? Is everyone done?"

All three nodded their heads so Don got up and grabbed all the mugs from the boy's so that he could return them to the kitchen.

While Don was busy Arthur turned to his son and smiled. "It's getting late Draco; we should probably start to head home. I believe Molly is fixing your favorite for dinner."

Draco looked up at Arthur with a small smile. "Really?"

The man gave a soft nod. "But first, I believe Severus said he had something for you from your mother."

Turning around Draco looked at Severus with a questioning look. "What did she send?"

Severus gave the boy a small smile and then got up to go retrieve the package that had arrived early yesterday morning. When he came back to the couch, he sat down and then handed the parcel to the boy.

First, the boy unstuck the letter from the bag and opened the envelope. Carefully he scanned the letter with a few tears in his eyes, but with a small smile on his face.

Arthur read over his shoulder, just to make sure nothing ill intent was being said to the boy. He didn't think the boy's mother would do that, but he just wanted to make sure. His boy was fragile, and he knew that very little right now could break him.

Gently Arthur wrapped an arm around Draco's chest and smiled lightly while he looked over the letter.

As soon as Draco read through the entire note he placed it down gently on the couch next to him and pulled out something he had truly missed from home. It was a small model plane that looked as if it had been made by a small boy.

"Who made that Draco?" Arthur clearly knew Draco had made it, but he wanted to hear the full story. He also now had an idea of what to get the boy for Christmas.

Draco smiled down at the small toy. "Once, when I was really little Mother and Father had to go somewhere important, but couldn't keep me. Uncle Sev was busy and they couldn't leave me home alone so they did the only thing they could think of. Father hated the idea of me spending time with a muggle, but still they sent to stay at my Aunt's house for a few hours. Nymphadora and I made this with her Dad. Father wanted me to throw it away because it was so muggle, but Mother convinced him it wouldn't harm me to know something about the muggle world."

Severus looked over at the boy and smiled. "I remember that day. I don't think I ever saw a bigger smile on your face when you showed me that plane. You were so proud. I'm glad your Mother let you keep it."

The boy just blushed and smiled while looking down at the plane.

Harry looked up at Severus and then over at Draco. "Hey Draco, maybe you and I could build one some time. It looks like it would be fun!"

The boy nodded and leaned back into Arthur's arm. "Yeah, I think that would be fun."

"Good, now that we have that sorted out, we should really head home. Molly is going to kill me for keeping you from dinner so long."

Everyone in the room chuckled at the mental image of Molly yelling at the poor man,but then allowed both him and Draco to stand up and walk over to the fireplace. Before leaving though Harry hopped up and ran over to the other boy.

"Draco, you should come back some time. I had a lot of fun hanging out with you."

Looking up at Arthur Draco nodded. "Yeah, if Arthur and Molly say it's ok, I would really like to. Maybe you could even come over to the Burrow some time."

Severus came up behind Harry and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I think we can arrange that. I'm glad you had a good time here Draco, remember if you ever feel as though you need to go somewhere other than home you're welcome here."

The boy nodded and then launched himself forward into his Uncle's arms. Stepping back a little Severus gained his footing and then wrapped his arms back around Draco.

"Thank you for getting me out of there Uncle Sev. I...I think I'm happy for the first time in my life."

Severus reached up and stroked back the boy's hair. "I'm very glad to hear that Draco."

Draco pulled back and fixed his hair. "Why do you have to keep messing my hair up?"

The man smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Call it habit."

Looking at Harry while still fixing his hair, Draco stuck his tongue out playfully at him. "I have you to blame then!"

Harry smiled and nodded his head. "Yep, sorry about that. Maybe you _should _listen to Arwen."

"No way!" Draco shook his head violently.

Laughing Harry shook his head and smiled. "I guess I'll see you soon then Draco. Like Dad says you're welcome to come here anytime."

Finishing flattening his hair Draco nodded. "Thank you. I'll see you later then." The boy then turned to Arthur and grabbed his hand gently.

With a soft nod from Arthur to Don and Severus, the two then disappeared through the flames. As soon as they left Don turned to the two and gave them both his large smile.

"I will take my leave as well. You know where to call me if you need me."

Severus nodded his head and wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulder. "We'll see you in the morning."

Don nodded and then disappeared through the floo as well leaving Harry and Severus alone.

The man turned to look down at his son. "Do you want to dinner Harry?"

The boy nodded and blushed when he heard his stomach growl, but then he smiled and looked up at his Daddy. He may have been calling him his Dad today in front of Draco, but he would always be his Daddy. He didn't care if it made him sound childish, it made him feel closer to the man somehow.

Harry leaned forward into his Daddy's arms. "I love you Daddy."

Hugging the child back Severus smiled. "I love you too Harry. Now come on I think Maya outdid herself again on dinner...and I know I outdid it with deserts."

Looking up at Severus, but keeping his arms firmly wrapped around Severus Harry smiled. "You baked?"

Severus gave a small nod. "Just some cookies, brownies, and a chocolate cake."

"Really?"

The man gave a small nod amused. "The chocolate cake even has strawberries in it. I thought a little treat wouldn't be amiss."

Harry hugged Severus even tighter and nodded against his chest. He really did have the best Daddy ever.

"Come on now, we can't have any of that wonderful chocolate goodness unless we both eat a good dinner. Maya's rules."

The boy nodded and then pulled back laughing a little. He knew Maya was really talking about his Daddy when she said that, he obviously had a sweet tooth, but it was amusing to hear his Daddy include him as well.

Gently Harry pulled back even more and smiled at Severus. With a small nod for the man, the two started to walk to the kitchen.

When they entered, they saw the table was filled with all the food the two loved and Maya smiling at the both of them.

Bouncing up and down excitedly Maya ran over to Harry and hugged him tightly. The poor boy was taken back for a moment, but then looked down at the elf and hugged her back. "I is sorry for how Maya scolded you this morning. Maya was just worried. Is hope you like this meal, Maya made it especially with you twos in mind."

Harry gently patted the still bouncing elf's back and smiled down at her. "It's alright Maya."

The elf pulled back and gave the boy a wide smile and then turned to Severus. "The room Master Severus asked for this morning is done. The password is 'incolumitas'. Master may change it if he wants."

Severus smiled at the elf and nodded. "Thank you Maya. I think that's the perfect password."

Maya smiled and bounced up and down again. With a quick snap she was gone probably to take care of some of the dishes she made preparing he meal.

Harry turned to look at Severus. "Daddy, what was she talking about? What room?"

Reaching over Severus ruffled Harry's hair. "I'll show you when we finish dinner alright? It has something to do with that surprise I mentioned earlier."

"Ok. Can we eat now, I'm really hungry." As if to punctuate his statement Harry's belly let out another loud moan begging for food to fill it making both of them laugh.

"Come on then scamp. Go sit down and serve yourself. Remember to drink your milk before you eat anything."

Harry gave a small nod. He had forgotten a few days ago and had unfortunately lost the pancakes he had just eaten. He wouldn't be making that mistake anytime soon!

Sitting down at the table they both served their plates and then began eating. When they were finished with the meal, Maya popped in and nodded her head in approval before popping away the leftovers and dirty dishes. She then snapped her fingers again, and the cake appeared before them with the right utensils to cut and serve it.

"Thank you Maya. Would you like a piece?"

The elf smiled. "It's alright Master Severus. Maya will have some later after the dishes are clean."

Harry popped his head up and looked at the elf. "Would you like some help Maya? I'm pretty good at dishes."

The elf smiled at the boy sadly and shook her head. Albus had told her about Harry's living conditions before coming here and if she had anything to say Harry wouldn't be lifting a finger unless he needed to learn responsibility. But, if she were honest, he was already the more responsible kid she had ever met.

"It's alright Master Harry, Maya is happy to clean up. Yous just enjoy your cake."

Harry smiled at the small elf. "Ok Maya."

Maya ran up and hugged the boy and then pulled back and popped away. Somewhat confused Harry looked over at Severus.

Severus just smiled and shook his head, but then reached over and placed a gentle hand on Harry's. "I believe the Headmaster told her about some of the time you spent with your relatives. I don't think she is ever going to let you lift a finger."

Looking down at his clean plate Harry blushed. Why did they have to tell Maya about the Dursley's? He guessed Maya did have to know in case anything happened.

Severus patted Harry's hand. "She had to know your medical history, Harry. As the family house elf, if something were to happen and either Albus or I were not around she is your medical caregiver."

Harry's blush faded to a light pink as he nodded. "Does that mean she knows everything?"

"No Harry. She just knows the basics and would only learn more if there was an emergency."

"Ok." Harry's blush faded completely and he let out the small breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. For some reason he was uncomfortable with just the idea of anyone more finding out what had happened. It wasn't the feeling of panic he first had when Severus had held him back in the classroom, but it was more embarrassment and shame.

Giving Harry's hand on last pat he then reached over and grabbed the cake knife the elf had brought him. "How big of a piece do you want Harry?"

"Can I have a small piece? I ate a lot of dinner."

Severus smiled. "I know you did, and I am so proud of you. You can join the clean plate club tonight!"

Smiling Harry took his slice of cake and dug his fork in it happily. Taking the first bite Harry savored the wonderful flavor or chocolate strawberry goodness.

Taking his own piece of cake Severus sat back in his chair and smiled at his son's antics. "What do you think Harry?"

Harry opened his eyes and smiled back at the man. "It's brilliant! Can you show me how to make it?"

The man reached over and ruffled Harry's hair again laughing. "I think that can be arranged, but first let's eat this cake!"

Nodding Harry fixed, or tried to, his hair and then picked his fork back up to eat the scrumptious cake.

When the two finished eating, Maya popped back in the take the dishes away, but before she could disappear she found herself being plopped down in a chair and plate being put in front of her with a piece of cake on it.

"Master Severus?"

Severus smiled at the small hardworking elf. "Go on Maya. That is just for you."

Blushing the elf picked up her fork and began eating. "Thank you Master Severus."

The man gathered the rest of the dishes she had yet to pop away and then patted the elf on the shoulder. "Harry and I will take care of the rest of the dishes. I want you to take the night off, understood?"

Timidly the elf nodded. Even after all these years she wasn't used to such kindness and it kind of made her feel squirmy inside, but she also secretly really liked it.

Picking up the dish in front of him Harry followed Severus to the sink and gave the elf a small smile.

The two worked quickly on the dishes. Severus washed them and Harry stood to his right drying them and then put them in their place. When they were finished, Severus looked at the smiling overjoyed elf and smiled at her. He then looked over at Harry and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulder and started herding him through the door.

"Are you ready to see your surprise?"

Harry leaned into his Daddy's touch and nodded. He was excited and somewhat nervous. He was still not used to receiving gifts or surprises, but at the same time it felt wonderful that he was cared about enough to receive such things.

Smiling down at his boy, Severus led Harry upstairs to his room and then made him sit on the bed.

"Close your eyes Harry."

The boy did as he was told, but couldn't help, but squint one eye open so that maybe he could have a peak. Severus caught him though, and with a smile he made the boy cover his eyes with his hands.

Severus wanted to make sure everything was in order before he showed it to the boy. He knew that Maya had worked hard on it, and it was likely to be perfect, but he still wanted to make sure.

When he whispered the password between the wall of Harry's room and his playroom, a door appeared. He opened it and saw a stairway going down, and at the bottom a comfortable room filled with anything a small boy might need in case of an emergency. It was perfect.

Smiling Severus closed the door and watched as it hid itself again. He then walked over to the boy on the bed and gently took the hands away from his face. "You can open your eyes now Harry."

Harry opened his eyes and looked all around for the surprise. When he couldn't see anything, he frowned a bit and then looked up confused at Severus.

Still smiling, Severus helped Harry off the bed and led him over to the wall. "So what do you think Harry?"

Confused even more, Harry looked at the blank wall. "It's a wall..."

Severus let out a small laugh. "It's not just a wall Harry. Say 'incolumitas' and see what happens."

Harry looked up at Severus and then back at the wall. "incolumitas"

The door appeared before both of them making Harry gasp in surprise and aw. "Where did it go?"

Severus rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Why don't you open it up and see?"

Harry gave a soft nod and then reached forward and opened the door. He then took a step forward and looked in in amazement. "There's a staircase!"

Chuckling Severus nodded. "Why don't we go see what's down there. I think you'll like it."

Walking forward even more Harry started down the stairs and Severus shut the door behind him and watched as it disappeared into the wall.

When it was gone, Severus turned back around and followed his son down the steps and around the corner so they could explore the main part of the room. Once inside the room, Harry looked around with wide eyes filled with astonishment at how beautiful it was.

After a few moments, Harry turned around at Severus and launched himself into his arms. "It's wonderful! How did you do it?"

Severus smiled and hugged his boy back. "All I did was ask Maya to make it, she did the rest. This is your safe room Harry. If there's ever a time you feel you uncomfortable, or in danger I want you to come down here. Only Maya, Don, Albus, and I can come down here besides yourself. No one else will be able to get in or break the spells that protect it. Alright?"

Harry looked up at Severus. "So I can come down here anytime?"

"Anytime you want Harry, but remember this is meant as a safe house not a play room."

"Ok Daddy. Does that mean I can't tell anyone about it?"

Severus smiled and nodded his head. "The fewer people who know about this place the better and safer."

Harry buried his head back in Severus's chest. "Thank you Daddy."

"Your welcome child. Now let's go sit on the bed and see what else is in here."

Harry nodded and let Severus guide him over to the bed to sit down. When they sat down, Severus gently pulled the boy into his side and pointed over to a cupboard on the other side of the room.

"If anything ever happens and you're stuck down here for a long time there's food in there that will never go bad. Of course, you can always call Maya and she will pop in, but if that isn't possible I want you to use that food, alright? I don't want you to save it, it's there for you to use."

Severus had a feeling that if anything _did_ happen Harry would save his stash of food and not have any of it until someone came for him. It was really just the way the boy was looking at the door of the cupboard that gave it away and the fact that he knew his boy had a bad habit of storing his food rather than eating it. Another reason, they had decided to give Harry that drawer in his room to keep food in. Otherwise, they had found Harry snuck bits of food into his napkin and had been keeping it tucked away in various places sometimes where it rotted.

Looking down at his boy, Severus gave a soft sigh and knew they still had more work to do. Harry, while he was nodding and agreeing that he would actually eat the food down here in an emergency, it was obvious by the look on the boy's face that he would not.

"In that cabinet next to it, there are some books and games to keep you occupied. The goal of this room is to keep you safe and happy while you are down here until someone can come and get you. So I want you to stay occupied so you don't worry."

Again, Harry gave a soft nod. "You won't be down here with me?"

Softly Severus ran his fingers through Harry's hair. "I don't know Harry. I will try to be down here with you, but you have to remember this room is for you in case of an emergency. This is your safe room."

Harry leaned in Severus's side heavily. "You think something might happen?"

"No Child, I'm just taking every precaution. And that reminds me we have to talk about something else concerning your safety."

Severus was not planning on telling Harry all about Voldemort's horcrux tonight, but for some strange reason this felt like the right time. It had been an eventful day for the both of them, but also he felt that if he waited too long then he would be dragging it out for him and Harry. For he was sure Harry would want the truth more than anything, especially, because it was his body and his mind under attack.

The boy looked up at Severus curiously. "What is it Daddy?" He had noticed Severus's mood damper at that last mention and wanted to know what was bothering him so.

Severus looked down at the boy with a sad smile. "Let's get more comfortable and then I'll tell you, alright?"

The boy gave a small nod and let Severus move both of them so that they were now sitting up against the pillows on the wall.

"Ok Harry." Severus let out a small sigh and wrapped his arms tightly around his boy. "You know how I help protect your mind when you sleep to keep away the bad dreams?"

Harry nodded and wondered how that connected with his safety.

"Well, we think Voldemort is the one who is giving you those dreams to frighten you."

Harry fell back into Severus's arms and started shaking just a bit. "You...you mean he can get in my head?"

"Not with me around, Harry. When I protect your mind, that is keeping him away and putting up shields so that he can't get in."

The boy relaxed a little into Severus and closed his eyes.

"We think we know how he can do give you those dreams though and have a solution."

Severus looked down at the boy and stroked back his hair. He had decided that this truth would be the best for Harry. Telling the boy about the horcrux when they were already destroyed at this point would just cause more worry in the almost teen and would not help. The boy already worried so much over little things.

"How?"

"How is he getting inside your mind?"

Harry gave a small nod. "Yeah..."

"Well, you know the scar on your forehead? Albus and I think that when you destroyed him that night when the curse rebounded that a part of his soul broke off and embedded it there. That's why it always hurt when you were around Quirrell and why you seem connected."

Placing his hand over his scar Harry started to scratch at it. "He's in my head! Get him out! Get him out! GET HIM OUT!"

Gently Severus pulled Harry's hands away from his head so he wouldn't do anymore damage and then waited until Harry's breath calmed. "Child, we're going to get it out. Don't worry, we already know how, and hurting yourself is not the way. Calm down now Harry."

"But it's inside me!"

"Shhh, I know Child, but we're going to get it out. It's going to all ok."

Harry struggled to get his hands free, but Severus kept a strong hold on them. Harry had already given himself a few pretty nice scratches before Severus could stop him and the man didn't want to add any more.

"Harry, come now child. Stop this."

Harry stopped, but then turned, and buried his now somewhat bloody forehead into the man's chest. Letting go of the boy's hands Severus brought his arms around Harry's back and held him close to his chest.

"It will be alright Harry. Do you want to hear how we're going to get rid of it?"

Harry nodded against Severus's chest.

"Well, first we're going to make you real drowsy so you can fall asleep. Then, Albus and Don are going to say a spell that will get rid of it."

"What's the spell going to do?"

Gently Severus brushed the boy's hair away from the now scratched forehead and said a small cleaning charm and then a healing one. "Albus is going to say the part where it take the magic out of your body, then Don is going to separate the dark magic, Voldemort's magic, from yours. When it's all finished, Albus will put the magic back inside of you and you'll be fine."

Harry launched his head back into Severus's chest. "The..they're going to take my magic away?"

"Only for a few seconds, and then they're going to put it right back where it belongs."

The boy nodded against Severus's chest, but made no more sounds. It was obvious though the boy was trying to catch his breath. Gently Severus rubbed his back and helped him calm down. When he was calm enough, Severus pulled him back and tenderly placed a hand on the boy's cheek.

"I won't let anything or anyone harm you Harry. You have to trust me to know what's best."

Harry gave a small shaky nod. "I do...It's just he's in my head..."

"I know child, I know."

Severus pulled Harry back to his chest and held him close for a few more moments. Then, he pulled the boy back a bit and gave him a small smile. "Why don't we go upstairs and you can read to me for a little bit before going to bed?"

Harry smiled and nodded. He knew his Daddy was just trying to get his mind off all this stuff, and he was grateful. He could just imagine just how awful he would be if he didn't have someone looking out for him and his every move.

Severus silently cast a weight altering spell on the boy and gently picked him up so that he could carry him back to his room.

Harry blushed and buried his face into Severus's robes. He knew he was too old for this kind of treatment, but it really did feel nice to be cared for and that feeling was reinforced when Severus placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. There was one question though of his that was still left unanswered. When?

When they were upstairs, Severus looked down at the boy and smiled. "Can you say the password Harry?"

Harry nodded and said the Latin word for safety that made the door appear.

"Very good Harry." Severus opened the door with his free hand and smiled.

Harry blushed and let Severus plunk him down on the bed while the door behind them disappeared.

"Daddy?"

Severus sat down next to Harry. "Yes Harry?"

"When are they going to, well...you know."

Severus gently placed an arm around Harry's shoulder. "We were thinking before new years. That way you can enjoy all the holidays and not worry about it, but still have some time to recover before school starts again."

Harry nodded. "Ok."

"I'll leave you for a few minutes so you can change into your pajamas. Alright?"

Harry nodded again, but placed a hand on Severus's arm to stop him. "Will it hurt?"

Gently Severus smiled. "You won't feel anything, Harry, and when you wake up everything will be all over."

"Promise?"

"I promise Harry. Now get in your pajamas and pick out a book you want to read. I'll be back in a moment."

Harry nodded and let the man leave the room this time without stopping him. As soon as Severus shut the door behind him he tiredly rested his head on the door and closed his eyes.

Was it too much for him to ask for a peaceful time with his boy? Just one day without all of this hanging over their heads? Sighing, he knew that was not going to happen. At least not until his old master was gone for good.

Severus opened his eyes again and looked down at the kitten who was rubbing against his legs. Smiling he bent down and scooped her up into her arms. "Thank you Arwen, I needed that."

The kitten only purred louder and rubbed her head on Severus's chin. "You know, I think Albus didn't just get you for Harry; I think he meant to soften my heart even more as well. And, you know, I'm really glad. I think this is the first time in my life, that I feel really happy. I hope Harry is happy too."

Just then the door creaked open, and a small head of messy hair could be seen. Smiling Severus reached forward and plopped the kitten in Harry's arms. "Are you ready for your story?"

Harry looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah...and Daddy?"

"Yes Harry?"

"I'm happy too."

Reaching over Severus gently brushed Harry's hair back. "I'm so happy to hear that Harry. Now come on and let's get you in bed. It's been a long day."

Harry gave a small nod and let Severus guide him back to his bed. Once there Severus pulled back the covers and Harry hopped in. Gently Severus brought the covers up and tucked Harry in securely. "Now what story did you pick out Harry?"

The boy blushed and looked down. "I'm really tired...I don't think I could concentrate...could you read tonight?"

Severus reached over and patted Harry's hand gently. "Of course Harry. Now what book would you like me to read? We already finished 'Life Of Pi'."

"Can we read 'The Giver'?"

Severus smiled and walked over to the bookshelf to grab the requested book. When he had it in hand, he walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge.

Opening the book to the first page Severus began to read. "In Jonas's world, turning twelve changes everything. He will finally receive his life assignment: perhaps he will become a caretaker of the old, or a childcare worker..."

Some time later Severus looked over the top of the book and saw Harry sleeping peacefully. Gently he slipped into Harry's mind like he did every night and put up the shields that would protect him. When he retreated, Severus dog-eared the page that he had left off on and got up from the edge of the bed.

Softly he placed the book on the bedside table and then turned and looked at his son smiling. Gently he took the boy's glasses off and set them on top of the book. He then took the covers and pulled them up even more to make sure all of Harry was covered. He didn't want him to catch cold.

Then stepping back a moment Severus smiled at the scene. He had seen this often over the last month, but still he loved watching his son sleep. He was so peaceful when he slept, and truly he did look younger than he really was. Still smiling he watched as Arwen jumped up on top of Harry's chest and settled down so she could sleep.

Stepping forward again Severus brushed back Harry's hair and bent down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Good night my son. I promise you everything will be fine. I will make sure it is."


	34. Christmas Morning

**Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter has taken me so long! It goes to show just how tired I am that I ended that last sentence originally as if it was a php function. haha**

**Anyway, the next chapter for this is in the works. I just started it tonight and am trying to get it up by the end of the holidays so that were still in the spirit. I also did post another story up here a little bit ago called Secrets. It's about Harry telling Sirius about his recent sexuality discovery. I found it sitting in my documents folder and thought I should post it, so check it out! :)**

**And a quick note, some of the books mentioned in this chapter were released after the year this story takes place in. Please forgive me, I was trying to come up with good books that I have read and loved and had trouble coming up with some to fit this time period. I could have chosen books at random, but I didn't want to put down some that I had never read.**

**SamerA Jay - Of course I did! If someone points of a silly mistake of mine, I"ll always fix it! Sometimes things just slip though the cracks no matter how many times I re-read the story. haha**

**MMWillow13 - I'm glad you are enjoying my story! I don't know why, but I've always had a soft spot for Albus. I think that even though he may not have chosen the right way to handle things at times, he truly did think he was doing the right thing for the situation. ****As for experiencing abuse, I may not have experienced abuse or witnessed it first hand, but I have seen what it can do to children. I truly hope one day in the world we live in that no one will be able to hurt even the smallest child.**

**Nanchih - Why not? The Giver is an excellent book. :)**

* * *

><p>Christmas morning found Severus still in his pajamas sitting on the edge of Harry's bed smiling down at his boy. He had let the boy sleep in a little this morning; last night had been a great adventure for him and he needed some more rest.<p>

Albus was able to get away from the castle so he had arrived a few days ago and ever since the old man, and Harry had been decorating the house up to the nines. While Severus just sat back and watching and shaking his head in fondness. It was really amazing how much the old man resembled a kid at times.

And then last night, they had all helped decorate the Christmas tree they had cut down the day before. It had been a great time, he had never see Harry so happy of excited before. Those small green eyes had shown so bright when they were handing the sparkling decorations. Then after the tree was covered in ornaments, they had gone into the kitchen and baked ginger bread men to leave out for Santa. When the cookies were finished and laid out for the man in red, Severus had noxed all the lights except for the tree and the strings of colored lights on the ceiling, and everyone had curled up on the couch with cups of hot apple cider. Soon after Harry's cider was finished, the boy had fallen asleep on Severus's shoulder listening contently to Albus telling stories of his youth.

And now, Severus was here to wake his boy up so he could see the presents they had placed under the tree for him. He hoped Harry liked all the things he had gotten him, especially the ones from Santa. Severus knew that Harry didn't believe in Santa anymore, probably was never allowed too, but he also knew Harry wanted to believe and and he wanted to encourage that as much as possible. The boy deserved a happy, magical Christmas.

Still smiling, Severus gently shook Harry's shoulder. The boy rolled over and faced Severus while he opened sleepy eyes.

"Happy Christmas Harry."

Harry smiled and let a wide yawn out. "Happy Christmas Daddy."

Severus reached over to the bedside table and grabbed the glasses and then gently placed them on Harry's face. "Did you dream of Gingerbread men and sugar-plum fairies?"

The boy blushed and shook his head. "I dreamed that I heard reindeer on the roof and someone coming down the chimney, but then Arwen came and laid down on my head waking me up."

Smiling Severus brushed back Harry's hair and chuckled. "I bet that was a good dream. Do you want to see what Santa brought you? I saw quite a bit of presents down there for you."

Harry's eyes lit up, but Severus could see a touch of sadness in them. "For me?"

"Yes Child, now come on Albus was practically jumping from joy this morning. We don't want him to have all the fun now do we?"

Harry smiled and shook his head as he sat up. He then swung his feet over the edge of the bed and then hopped down. Severus stood and gently wrapped his arm around the boy's back and guided him out of the room and down the hall.

When they were passing the bathroom though, Harry stopped and looked shyly at the door. "Daddy?"

Smiling Severus nodded. "Go on Harry, I'll meet you downstairs."

Blushing even more Harry shook his head. "Can...can you wait for me?"

The man nodded. "Then, I'll be right here waiting just for you."

Harry nodded and then disappeared into the bathroom and then closed the door behind him. A few minutes later, Severus heard the water running and then Harry appeared and latched onto his hand.

"Ready?"

Harry nodded. He knew it was childish to want his Daddy to wait for him, but he wanted to walk downstairs with him and see his first real Christmas tree with presents beneath it. Every Christmas, save last year, he had been locked in his cupboard after preparing Christmas eve dinner and wasn't let out until it was time for him to put away the tree. Sure he could hear what was going on, but in some ways that was much worse...he could hear what was happening, but he could never participate.

Pushing the thoughts of the past away, Harry focused on the steps before him. They were almost at the bottom of the stairs and Harry could see the corner of the glowing Christmas tree.

When the full living room came into view, Harry's face beamed the joy he felt in his heart. Sure he had seen the decorations and lights the night before, he had helped put them up, but he swore it looked so much prettier on Christmas morning.

The tree stood there with dozens of presents sitting underneath and hanging from the fireplace were overfilled stockings, one for each of them.

Next to the tree stood Albus in vibrant purple pajamas and a large smile on his face. "Good morning boys! Harry I see your name on some presents over here! Come on let's open them!"

Harry smiled and rushed over to the tree to take a look of his own. Seeing that his Headmaster was telling the truth Harry hugged the man and then went over to hug Severus.

Looking down at the boy Severus ruffled his hair and hugged him close. "Go on Harry, go open your presents."

Harry looked up with a sparkle in his eyes and then rushed over to the tree and sat down on the floor before it.

The adults shared an amused glance and then came over and sat on the floor next to the boy, one on each side. They had only seen Harry this happy a few times and it was wonderful to see. Albus even pulled out the magical camera and prepared to take some discreet photos. He wanted to document every moment of Harry's first real Christmas with his family.

As soon as they were all by the tree though, Harry became shy and just looked at all the many gifts before them. He didn't really know what to do now that he was here. Was he to open them or wait for them to be handed to him or some other tradition he didn't know about?

Fortunately, Severus saw Harry's uncomfortable moment and grabbed a gift with Harry's name on it handing it to the boy.

Harry looked up gratefully at the man and took the parcel. "To Harry, From the Weasleys."

The boy looked up at Severus with a smile and then carefully began to unwrap the paper covering the box bit by bit. When the box was open, Harry carefully pulled out a wand holster that they had been obviously customized just for him. It was a beautiful hand crafted leather holster that had his name engraved so that when he put it on his belt all could see that his name was Harry James Severus Potter.

Smiling Harry held up his gift so Severus and Albus could see and smiled widely. Severus put a gentle arm around his shoulder and gave a small hug. "Now that you have that Harry, I expect you to use it. I don't want to see you walking around with your wand in your back pocket any more. You don't want to blow your bottom off!"

Harry blushed, but nodded vigorously. He did _not _want his bum blown off, he liked sitting down!

Albus held out a hand. "I'll start a pile of your gifts over here if you want. We don't want anything getting mixed up in the paper."

The boy gave a small nod and handed over his first gift while Severus grabbed the next one.

"This one is from me Harry."

Nodding Harry took the package and carefully unwrapped it and then took the item out of the box. It was charm shaped like a house that he could put on the necklace he already wore. Curiously Harry leaned into Severus side and looked up at him for answers.

Smiling Severus obliged. "That charm is special just like the fawn, but instead of calling Don or I, this one will send you here. It will send you home when you clutch it and say 'take me home'. I debated where in the house it would take you, but then decided that it would take you to your safe room. That way if you are in danger you would immediately go somewhere safe. As soon as it is activated Don, Albus, and I will be notified so that we know something is wrong."

Harry nodded. "So, I can only use it in emergencies?"

"No, you can always use that to come home. I just wanted to make sure in case of an emergency you were prepared."

"Can you help me put it on?"

Severus nodded and reached around Harry so that could unclasp the chain. When it was off he carefully put the new charm on it and then placed it back around Harry's neck.

"There you go Harry."

The boy grabbed the chain and brought it up so that he could look at it more closely. "It's beautiful! Thank you Daddy!"

Severus reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. "You're very welcome Harry. Now, I believe this next gift is from Santa. You better open it and see what it is."

Harry smiled and took the next present from Severus. Gently he unwrapped it, and a smile graced his face as he looked in the box. Carefully he took out his new picture frame that had a photo of his parents dancing in circles in a pile of leaves.

Placing the photo down beside him he reached over and hugged Severus tightly. "Thank you."

Patting Harry's back gently Severus returned the hug. "Santa is the one you should be thanking Harry."

The boy pulled back, and with a small nod the boy smiled. Maybe he could pretend just a bit longer that Santa existed.

With a renewed joy Harry took the next package and opened it much the same he had the other gifts. This one appeared to be from Albus and was a small box wrapped in orange wrapping with purple dots. Inside was very different though, it held an elegant gold pocket watch that had a compass etched on the front.

Before Harry could ask just what it was, Albus spoke up in his Grandfatherly, but stern voice. "Use this wisely Harry. This is not a toy, but a tool that I believe will help you throughout your life. It is called a compass watch and when you hold it and think of a specific person it will show you just where that person is and what they're doing when you open it. Although, if they are in a private place or moment it will only tell you where they are, not what they are doing."

Harry blushed at the thought, but then Severus placed a gentle hand on his back and smiled at him. "Go ahead and try it Harry."

Carefully Harry wrapped his hands all the way around the item and thought of where Draco was. When he he opened his eyes and looked down at the small instrument Harry saw Draco sitting on the Weasley's couch opening a present wrapped in green. In a moment though, the scene disappeared and the gold glistened back at him.

Looking back up at Albus Harry smiled widely. "That's wicked! What will it do if it can't show you what they are doing? Will it still show a picture?"

Albus shook his head. "No, print will show up and tell you where they are. Remember Harry, this is a powerful tool. Don't abuse its power, because I will find out and I confiscate it."

Harry nodded seriously. "I won't I promise."

Smiling Albus handed Harry his next present. "Good. I hope you like this one as well. It's just a little something I saw and thought you might like it."

Harry set down the small pocket watch on his lap and took the new gift that was wrapped very similarly to the one before. This time though instead of a small object it was quite a large one and it was soft. Curiously Harry opened the gift and looked down smiling at the new shirt that had a snitch flying back and forth on the front. Picking it up excitedly Harry rushed to the bathroom and threw the new shirt on after taking of his pajama top.

As he came back into the living room though to the two smiling adults he blushed and looked down realizing how foolish he must have looked rushing of like that to try on new clothing. He wasn't a small child after all.

Kindly Severus beckoned Harry forward and when he was close enough held him at arms length. "That looks wonderful on you Harry. Do you like it?"

Harry nodded his head shyly. Thank you Headmaster."

Albus frowned a little. "It never really came to my attention before, but I never asked you to call me by my first name. Please Harry, we live together; you can call me Albus if you want."

Harry nodded again and tried out the man's name. "Thank you Albus." It was weird, but it made Harry feel more like a part of the family somehow.

Smiling Albus reached over and patted Harry on the shoulder. "You are very welcome Harry. Now let's finish with the presents."

Harry nodded and sat down again letting Severus place another gift in his lap. "I believe this is from the Weasley's and there is a note there for you."

Harry nodded and took the note off the package to read it carefully. 'To Harry: Every stitch was knitted with you in mind. We hope this keeps you warm this winter.' Harry smiled knowing it was another one of Molly's jumpers.

Setting down the letter Harry opened the paper and was pleased to see that he was indeed correct. Molly had sent him a very handsome blue jumper with a small 'HJSP' embroidered near his right shoulder.

Looking up from his gift at Severus Harry smiled and placed it next to him on the couch. He would try it on later; he was still enjoying his new snitch shirt.

With a smile Albus handed Severus a present, but this time it was not for Harry; it was for the potion master. Severus looked over at Albus with a raised eyebrow. He had thought that they had agreed not to exchange presents this year and focus on Harry. Of course, he had not done so, but he had thought Albus would have. After all, it was a lot more fun buying gifts for a child than a cranky old adult.

Albus just smiled back at him and encouraged him to open the orange paper with purple dots. So Severus looked back down at the gift and carefully unwrapped it. What was inside warmed Severus's heart; it was a picture frame with a picture of Harry sleeping with his head resting on his lap and he was looking down at his son gently carding his long fingers though his hair.

Looking up at Albus, he smiled. "Thank you..."

"You're very welcome my boy." Albus smiled and then picked up another present, but instead of handing it off to Severus he saw that it was for him from Harry.

"Child, you didn't have to get me anything."

Harry just blushed and looked down at his feet. Severus said that it was alright to give his Headmaster a gift and Don had even helped him, but maybe he was wrong...maybe it was inappropriate. He had ruined Christmas, he was awful and should have known.

Albus saw the boy's distressed face and quickly tried to fix his mistake. "Though, you didn't have to Harry, I am so glad you did get me a gift. I am sure I will love it."

The Headmaster smiled as he saw Harry calm down with the help of a calming hand on his shoulder from Severus. The older wizard then opened the box that was in front of him and with a twinkle in his eyes he got up and went over to Harry and hugged him tightly to his chest.

"This is the best gift anyone could have gotten me Harry."

Harry blushed and accepted the hug Albus was giving him. When the older man let go of Harry, he sat back down and pulled out the socks that Harry had tie-died in bright rainbow colors himself with the help of Don. The man then sat back in his chair and pulled off the socks he was wearing to replace them with his new ones.

"Thank you so much my boy, they are just my size!"

"You're welcome sir."

Albus reached over and grabbed the next gift; this one was for Harry. "Here you are Harry.."

Harry accepted the gift and looked down at the purple paper. Carefully he unwrapped the gift, but when the paper was all gone he just sat there staring down at the glittery object.

Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulders. "It looks as though you have a feather from Fawkes there."

Harry looked up at Severus and then over at Albus. "Why would she give me a feather, sir?"

Albus smiled. "You see Harry; her feather can be made into a quill. Not an ordinary quill though, this quill won't let the user write down any untruths and will never leak."

Harry looked down and stroked his fingers through the soft feather, but then looked back up at Albus. "Can you thank Fawkes for me?"

"Of course, Harry. I think this might come in handy when your writing notes in school. You'll never be able to write down something that's wrong. Although, I don't want to ever see or hear of you using this on a test. Alight?"

Harry gave a small nod as Severus reached around and picked up the quill. "I'll help you later make this into a quill." Severus placed the quill on the table next to him and pulled out a package from behind his back to hand to Albus.

Smiling Albus took the gift. "Why Severus, I thought we agreed no gifts this year?"

"I know you too well, old man."

Still smiling Albus chuckled. "That you do, my boy. Now, what do we have here?" Albus unwrapped the box and pulled out a royal blue hat, scarf, and a pair of gloves.

Severus looked away when the smiling old man looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "I saw that you had none the other day and I don't want you catching cold. Nothing more."

Albus reached over and patted his hands and just smiled knowingly. Severus had strange ways in how he showed he cared, and every time he did show it it made Albus's heart glow.

"Thank you, my dear boy. I had an unfortunate mishap with my old winter clothing. Something I believe to do with a werewolf."

Severus narrowed his eyes at the older man and deadpanned, "You gave them away and never bothered to get a new pair. Sounds just like you."

"Come now, Severus, today is a day to be merry. No need for old grudges."

Severus sighed. "You're right."

The man reached behind him again and brought forth another present and handed it to Harry who throughout the adult's conversation kept looking back and forth between them in slight confusion. Shrugging the incident away, Harry took the gift and started to unwrap it. It was really heavy and he was curious what was inside.

Inside, there were four books Harry had been looking at during their last trip to Diagon Alley. He set the books down on the floor and then reached over to hug his daddy. "Thank you!"

Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and patted his back. "You're very welcome. What book do you want to read first?"

Harry picked up the books again and looked at the titles. 'The Outsider', 'Hatchet', 'and 'The Golden Compass'. "Could we start with 'Hatchet'?"

Severus smiled and nodded. "I think that sounds good."

The rest of Christmas morning passed in the same way, with all three of them opening presents. Harry received more books, puzzles and clothing from Albus, Severus, and Santa, and a ton of chocolate from his friends and Remus. Severus was given a small painting in a picture frame from Harry. The boy was saving the larger one to give to him on his birthday, but he had painted this one special for him. It was a still painting of a silhouette of Harry and Severus looking out at the black lake side by side. Needless to say, it was Severus's favorite gift.

After they were finished opening gifts, they all walked into the kitchen and were amazed by the breakfast spread that Maya had laid out for them. Severus had immediately called the small elf and gave her what was hidden behind his back. She was thrilled and excitedly unwrapped the gift and looked inside with wide eyes. As soon as she saw the shrunken kitchen ware she jumped up and down, carefully placed the box on the table, and ran up to hug Severus around the knees.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Master Severus! I so happy, yous the best master ever!"

Severus reached down and patted the elf's back gently. "You are very welcome Maya. This is just my small thanks for all you do for us all year."

Maya looked up at Severus with tears in her eyes. "Maya has best home ever!"

Severus smiled ad shook his head in amusement. The small elf then let go of his legs and popped out of the room with her gift. She was so excited to try out her new kitchen wear!

Harry came up behind Severus and hugged him from behind. "What did you give her?"

Severus smiled and steered Harry to sit down at the table. "Just some kitchen wear. When I did the dishes the other night, I noticed that some of it was warn out. Maya would never tell me, so I figured I would give her a little gift."

Harry nodded and looked at all the food before him. There was an assortment of everything and it was almost overwhelming. Coming up from behind him Albus patted Harry on the shoulder knocking him from his stupor. Looking up, Harry gave a small smile and watched as Albus sat on the other side of him.

The three served themselves breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed themselves with the wonderful spread. After they were finished, Severus and Harry started to clear the table to help Maya while Dumbledore watched on with an amused smile.

"You know, Maya is going to be disappointed that you're helping her."

Severus looked at the elder wizard and shrugged his shoulders. "She's getting better at accepting help, Albus. Maybe you should get up and help too?" Severus rose an eyebrow at the man.

Albus just sat back in his chair and smiled. "Oh my dear boy, I am an old man and old men need their rest. I am sure you two can handle it."

Severus shook his head. "You may be old, but was I mistaken when I saw you jumping from joy this morning?"

"Just more evidence that I am tired, Severus."

"Manipulative old coot."

Meanwhile, Harry was drying the already washed dishes and could hardly contain his laughter from the two bickering men.

Maya then popped in and snapped her fingers finishing off the dishes for the duo making Severus turn to her and shake his head. "Go relax Maya, you earned the day off."

She shook her head. "No Mater Severus, yous earned day off. Lets me take care of everything."

Severus was about to protest, but the small elf held up a finger and shook her head. "Nos Master Severus, it's Christmas."

"Listen to her Severus", Albus said from his seat at the table.

Sighing Severus shook his head. "Alright, you guys win. Come on Harry, why don't you go take a shower and get dressed. Don will be here soon and then we're going to head to the Weasley's."

Harry smiled, ran up to Severus to hug him, and then ran upstairs to do as Severus had said. Albus just watched and smiled, but then got up and stood beside Severus patting his shoulder. "You have a good kid there Severus."

Severus nodded. "I know, he really is."

With another pat on the shoulder Albus started walking up the stairs as well and called behind him to Severus. "I doubt the Weasley's would like to see me in my night clothes."

Severus shook his head and looked down at his own attire knowing that Albus was right. With a small laugh, he started up after the other two, and hid his surprise gift for Harry in his pocket. As he made his way up the stairs he heard the shower going in Harry's bathroom and quietly slipped into into his bedroom. Making his way over to the bed he placed the small box on the pillow. He then just as quickly and quietly left the room shutting the door behind him.

Smiling Severus made his way back to his room and changed waiting for the happy boy to barge in his room. Harry had become more daring lately, and he was trying to encourage that.

Just after he was dressed, a little ball of clothing rushed up to him and ran into his arms. Severus just smiled and patted Harry's back.

"I assume you like it then?"

Harry just nodded into his chest and then looked up at him with a grin. "It's brilliant! Thank you!"

Smiling Severus sat down on his bed and had Harry sit next to him. "Now Harry, there are rules that come with this gift. It is a practice snitch, so that means that you can only use this to practice with. It's in tune with your magic and if you call for it, it will come to you. You can see why that would be unfair in a game. Do you understand what I'm saying Harry?"

Harry nodded. "Yes Daddy. You don't want me to use it in a game, because that would be cheating. I won't, I promise."

"Good boy. Now, are you all ready to go to the Weasley's?"

Again Harry nodded. "Yes, are we flooing over?"

"We are Harry. Is there anything you would like to bring with you besides the gifts Albus is caring?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but could you help me so I don't fall through? I don't want to fall in front of everyone."

Severus gave a small nod. "I'll keep a hand on your shoulder. How about that?"

Harry nodded and hugged his Daddy again. "Thank you!"

Shaking his head Severus patted Harry back and then pulled away. "Come on you silly boy, let's get going. They're going to wonder where we went to if we go over soon."

Harry nodded and let Severus steer him out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the living room to join everyone else. When Don saw them he nodded slightly with a smile and gestured for them to go through first.

As soon as they were through the floo, Harry managed to stay standing thanks to his Daddy's hand on his shoulder and was thankful for it with all the Weasley's standing there waiting for them. Immediately, Molly Weasley came forward and enveloped him in a huge motherly hug.

"Oh, my dear! Happy Christmas! Are they feeding you alright? I know that healer says they're feeding you alright over there, but with Albus there you never know just how much of that food is really sweets in disguise."

Just then Albus appeared through the floo and looked at the elder Weasley. "I take no offense Molly, but I have to say Severus only lets me give him one sweet a day!" The older man put what looked like a pout on his face.

Molly looked down at the messy head that she was still pressing into her chest. "Well that's good to hear!"

Meanwhile Ron was pushing himself through his brothers and came right up to his Mother and Harry. "Come on mum! Let him breathe!"

Molly looked down again and let the boy go a bit so he could take a deep breath. "Oh my, sorry dear!"

Harry just nodded and looked gratefully at his friend for the reprieve. His friend just patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Come on, I have something to show you!"

Harry and Ron fled the room after Harry looked at his father for permission and received a tentative nod. They rushed in to Percy's old room and Harry spotted Draco sitting on the bed.

Harry smiled and waved a little while Ron just barged in and grabbed Draco by the hand pulling him behind him as he left the room. Draco hesitantly let Ron pull him along, but was nervous what was going to happen. "Ron...Ron where are we going?"

The boy just shook his head so Draco looked at Harry for some information. Unfortunately, Harry didn't know what was going on either so he just followed along shrugging his shoulders.

Finally, Ron had decided that they had reached their destination, his room, and let go of Draco's hand. "Well, go on, open the door." Ron prompted Draco.

Looking over at Harry and then back at Ron, Draco put his hand on the nob and turned it slightly opening the door. When the door was open Draco stood back and looked at the two beds that now adorned the room and then looked at Ron in confusion. Normally, the other bed was only there when Harry visited.

It was now Ron's turn to look nervous. He looked down at his feet and nervously shrugged his shoulders. "It's yours if you want. The spare bed used to be for when Harry slept over, but you're my Brother now...and I know you have nightmares. I wanted to wait for Harry to get here so I could ask if that was ok...and Draco...you don't have to accept it...I just thought..."

Harry smiled and nodded. "It's fine with me Ron."

Draco looked between the two other boy's and rose an eyebrow. "Is...is this a joke?"

Ron shook his head. "No! I just...I know I've been a prat...it's just...it takes me awhile to accept new things...and well...I was really a prat..."

Draco looked at Ron slightly astonished. Was this sort of an apology?"

Taking a deep breath Ron sighed. "I mean...I'm sorry...I really am. I know you have nightmares...I heard mum and dad talking...and if you want...I know that sometimes being in the same room with someone helps...at least it helps me..."

Still shell shocked Draco looked between a now smiling Harry and a nervous looking Ron. Finally, not being able to take anymore he bolted from the hallway and hid in his room shutting the door soundly behind him.

Looking at the door Ron sighed and looked at his feet dejected. "I guess it was too little too late...can you go get my mum to try to get him to come out? I didn't want to ruin Christmas for him."

Harry patted Ron on the shoulder. "I'll go talk with him. I'm sure he's just a bit confused. You have been quite a prat to him and I'm sure he thinks this is just another trick...I mean my cousin did something similar to me when I was younger..."

"It's not a trick though! I really meant it!"

The other boy smiled and nodded. "I know Ron. Let me talk with him."

Ron nodded and then with his head down he walked back to his room to sit on his bed. He felt so bad. He had really messed up this time.

Harry just looked over at his friend and shook his head. He knew that it always took awhile for Ron to come around, but when he did he really meant it. He hoped he could talk to Draco and make him see that. It would be good for both of his friends to make up and try to at least be friendly, they had more in common than they thought.

Sighing Harry turned and walked back to Draco's room. When he reached the door, he gently knocked and called out to Draco, "Draco, It's me. Can I come in?"

A shaky positive reply followed so Harry went inside the room and shut the door gently behind him. Looking around he saw Draco sitting on the bed hugging his pillow. With a smile Harry walked all the way in and then sat down on the side of Draco's bed.

"You know Draco...Ron wasn't trying to trick you. He was being serious...as hard as that is to believe."

Draco looked up at Harry. "He wasn't trying to trick me?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I don't think he has a sneaky bone in his body. He may have a thick head and he takes awhile to come around, but when he apologizes he really does mean it."

"Really? He was really trying to be nice?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Yeah, he really wants to try to make amends."

Draco buried his head in his arms and pulled his knees to his chest. "I blew it."

"No Draco, you didn't. Come on, let's go see Ron I'm sure he wants to clear all this up."

Draco looked up at Harry and gave a small nod. So Harry held out a hand to his friend and helped him up off the bed.

Both of them walked down the hall to Ron's room and Harry knocked on Ron's door before entering the room with Draco following close behind.

As soon as Ron and Draco spotted each other they both blurted out a sorry and then blushed. Harry just smiled and shook his head. "I'll just head downstairs then. See you two in a bit?"

Ron nodded and Draco looked at him hesitantly, but then nodded as well so Harry left the room and quietly closed the door behind him leaving his two friends to finally mend things between themselves.

Walking down the stairs Severus was waiting for him at the bottom and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Everything alright scamp? Where are your friends?"

Harry smiled and lent into his Daddy's kind touch. "They're making amends. Ron came to his senses. See Daddy? He's not all rocks in head." Harry smiled up at Severus with an eyebrow raised.

Fondly Severus ruffled Harry's hair and shook his head. "Brat." The man then gently led Harry into the living room where everyone else was gathered. As soon as they came in the room Harry spotted the family clock had several new spots on it. Walking a little closer he looked at the clock more intently, but then turned to look at Molly with questioning eyes.

Seeing the look Harry was giving her Molly smiled and knelt down to the boy's level so she could look him in the eyes. "Love, you're part of our family now...and so are Severus, Albus, Don and Draco. That means that you all deserve your own spot on the clock."

Harry reached forward and hugged the woman not caring that his friends were in the room watching the exchange. Sure he had Severus now, but still it meant a lot of him that there were other people who cared as well.

Molly pulled back from the hug and placed a gentle kiss to Harry's forehead. "You are such a wonderful child Harry, never change that."

Harry smiled and blushed, but then stepped back into his Daddy's arms. He liked the contact with Molly, but he had this need to be near his Father and he didn't really know why. Maybe it was because he had gone without a parental figure for so long, he just wanted to stay as close as he could.

Severus smiled and pulled his son's back into his chest. "Come on Harry, why don't we go see the rest of the kids. I am sure they want to see how you are doing."

Harry nodded and the two left to be immersed in the rest of the family, leaving Molly looking sternly at Don. "I see those bags under those eyes. When was the last time you slept?"

"Molly, please, it's Christmas. I am sure we can discuss this another time."

The woman just rose an eyebrow and led him to the library and then had him sit down on a near chair. "I spoke with Pam yesterday. You were right about her presence helping Ginny come out of her shell. But, that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. She said that you were overworking yourself, again."

"Pam spoke with you?" Don looked away ashamed, but a touch a warmth filled his chest. His Pam was worried about him.

"She did. She said that when you immerse yourself so deeply in your work that you forget how to take care of yourself. You know she is quite worried about you. She was about to contact your Healer, but I told her I would talk with you instead so we wouldn't interrupt the celebrations."

Molly then came and sat down in a chair next to Don and rested a gentle hand on his arm. She had learned a lot from being the Mother of Seven and knew that something was bothering the man. "Talk to me Don, why are you not sleeping?"

"I'm worried." Don looked down at the gentle hand on his arm and placed his other hand on top of it.

"What are you worrying about dear?"

Blushing Don looked the woman in the eyes, but then he looked down and rummaged in his pocket pulling out a small box. "I...I...was going to ask Pam to marry me...on New Years."

Molly smiled and patted his arm again. "So you're worried that she won't say yes...and that's why you're throwing yourself into your work."

Blushing even more Don stuffed the ring back into his pocket. "Well...yes."

"Oh dear, you shouldn't worry so much...and maybe you should ask her tonight. So you can finally get some sleep..and she can stop worrying about you."

The man signed and nodded. "Promise not to say anything?"

Smiling Molly just patted his hand. "Of course not dear. Now, why don't you go take a quick nap. I can watch over your boy's for you and Ill even make sure Albus won't go into a sugar induced coma."

"Are you sure Molly?"

"Yes, you can take Arthur and my room and I'll come wake you in a few house."

Don smiled. "Thank you Molly."

"Just go get some sleep dear." Molly then helped the Healer to his feet and gently pushed him towards their room to get some much needed rest. As she watched him leave, Molly shook her head fondly and then went to join the rest of the family.


End file.
